Innocence
by Sisi427
Summary: The Shinsengumi get a call about a burning building, and riot. When they get there, things don't go as they planned. As a result, they have no choice but to try to get information out of one woman, but there's an issue. She won't talk. At all. Possible Hiji/Oc story. M for occasional strong language and violence and mature themes.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi all. Thank you for taking interest in my story :) Before you read this chapter, I'd like to warn you that it's dark, and somewhat disturbing. That being said, the entire story will not be this bad. This was needed to show the extent of the situation and crime. While it may take a while for things to lighten up, I doubt things will get as bad as the last few paragraphs. That doesn't mean there wont be more pressure or crime, but it won't go as far as this and the next chapter. Okay, that's all!**

* * *

An unusual call, well past midnight. It made sense; Yamazaki had answered many a phone in his time, and while most things weren't as extreme as the one he was about to receive, he had learned a thing or two. When anything serious happened nobody but the Shinsengumi could handle it. Like always, he found himself being practically forced to remain awake for the better portion of the night; eating anpan as if he was in the middle of a stakeout. The familiar taste reminded him to stay awake, and focus on the task at hand. Not without a few badminton daydreams, of course. He was leaning back in the chair, with his feet resting on the wooden desk; staring at the ceiling as if the drop tiles could entertain him in some way. It seemed as if Yamazaki was being left to man the phone stations all week. He didn't understand why they couldn't just hire some dispatchers and be done with it. But Kondo had insisted this method was more pocket-friendly in the long run. While that sounded nice, it would do no good if Yamazaki was too tired to support the weight of said pockets.

The call came in just like any other. There was no alarm to display the unusual events which would soon follow. The desk lamp didn't provide an ominous flicker. Everything seemed normal. Even earlier in the day and eventually night, it had been rather mellow. Perhaps the calm of the day in itself was a warning of what was to come, but it had been completely overlooked. Much like the cleanliness of the small room Yamazaki had been stationed in.

Leaning up, the man allowed his feet to fall to the ground. He was eager to hear something; to engage in any sort of social interaction that would discourage his heavy eyelids, which seemed to burn every time they closed. Of course, that sensation only brought the desire to shut his eyes for the night.

Quickly pulling the dingy white phone to his ear, Yamazaki leaned onto the table.  
"Shinsengumi Headquarters-" No sooner than he had spoken, Yamazaki found himself being screamed awake. Well, that worked well. Now he probably wouldn't be able to sleep for a month. It was a bloodcurdling sound, which made the hairs on the back of his neck raise. He had even jumped a little; not that he would admit it.

"Hello?! Hello?!" A man shouted, and Yamazaki grabbed his trusty pen from its idle resting spot on the desk.  
"Yes, Yamazaki speaking. What is your emergency?"  
"H- Help! They started a riot! The doors are open! One of the patients- They had to sneak into the control room! Th- They murdered Reena!"

Frowning, Yamazaki started jotting down the man's words as quickly as he could. Anything could be useful, and he had a fresh page, just waiting to be filled.  
"Alright, calm down sir. I'm gonna need you to speak clearly, and tell me exactly what happened. Just take deep breaths okay?" Yamazaki's words were met with a panicked "Okay", and the man's breaths could be heard slowing.  
"What's your name?" The officer prodded, and the man responded with a lower voice, obviously trying to be calm, yet still on the verge of possibly screaming again.

"Sato- Sato Kenichi." The man panted with each pause, and it sounded as if he had been running. A loud slam could be heard in the background, but it didn't seem to startle him. Yamazaki wrote his name and continued his search for information. A small black button beside the phone was pressed by the officer; waking Kondo with a distinct buzz.

"Alright, Sato-San, can you tell me where you are?"  
"Yes, I'm at Happy Meadow Asylum- It- It's the one on the hill in the middle of the forest. One of the patients- They had to break out of their room, and free the others! I- I don't know how, the entire floor was sealed off, but now I'm locked up here with them! I've locked myself in the office, but I know they'll find me! I- I smell smoke! I think there's a fire!"

Quickly scribbling the words, Yamazaki frowned. It sounded more serious than he had anticipated.  
"You screamed when I answered, did anything happen?"  
"Yes, I- One of the patients tried to stab me! I- I killed the bitch! She killed Reena!"

Nodding once more, Yamazaki pressed the button to Kondo's room again. He was taking his sweet time.  
"Okay, do you know what her name was? Could she be the one that started the commotion?" He asked, hoping to keep the man talking. The more he talked the calmer he would be.  
"I don't know! I- I just don't know! Please save me! Please help me! I- I have a family! I'm just a doctor! I only do what they tell me to!"

The door behind Yamazaki creaked open, and he glanced over his shoulder, relieved to find Kondo.  
"Who? Who tells you what to do?"

Kondo lazily walked up behind Yamazaki scratching his balls through his boxers. The man's hair was on an odd position; bed head.  
"The higher ups! I don't know! The people who- They're here! They're at the door!"  
Yamazaki circled the asylum's name, taking care to drag the bubble around the words "Fire" and "Riot". Kondo gazed down at the paper, and scratched his head with his ball hand as he read the words.

"Sato-San, stay calm, okay? Is the door locked?"  
"Yes!" The man yelled, yet no sooner than he had spoken, said door could be heard bursting open. A loud thud sounded, and Yamazaki assumed the phone had been dropped. Commands to stay away were shouted, as well as warning such as "I have a knife you little bitch", and Yamazaki continued to recite the man's name, hoping it would get his attention. A female voice echoed throughout the room, saying nothing that seemed incredibly frightening.  
"Sato-Sama, I can't sleep..." Despite the fact that it sounded innocent, the man flipped out. Maybe she was holding a machine gun, or a human head. That would justify his reaction. When nothing worked to call the man back to the phone, and a struggle could be heard, Yamazaki gazed up at Kondo.

"It sounds serious; you might want to take the whole team."  
Kondo nodded, donning a serious frown as he memorized the name of the asylum. Too tired to speak. Well, that would be fixed the moment he got to the job. Kondo left the room, walking with a sense of urgency, and Yamazaki continued to listen to whatever was happening. Much to his surprise, the man wasn't the one screaming anymore. Now a woman was, and the man had fallen silent. There was a slam, accompanied with a significant amount of scraping, and Yamazaki tried to imagine what was happening.

The job required him to stay on the line; attempting to get the caller to speak to him again. Eventually, all sound died. The line didn't, but the voices did. There was just a repetitive tapping noise, like metal against cement, or tile. It didn't sound as though anybody was being stabbed; quite the opposite, actually. It sounded as though nobody was being stabbed, and while that was relieving, it was also alarming.

Then he heard it. Some form of hate-induced frightened dirty talk.  
"If I'm gonna die, it's gonna be doing something I love- Stop fucking moving!"

Frowning in confusion, Yamazaki felt his eyes widen. He didn't understand what was happening. Kondo had left the door open, and behind him, Yamazaki could hear his makeshift family rousing from their dormant states, and pulling clothes on. Nothing was as uncomfortable as this. It was obvious what that man he had just been talking about and was currently doing. If the odd word's on the doctor's behalf wasn't enough, the repetitive chant of the word "no" was. God, he hated calls like this. Nothing could be this awkward and alarming. It didn't happen often, but this had to be one of the worst. Glancing over his shoulder, Yamazaki found Hijikata tugging his shirt on. The vice commander glanced his way before moving down the hallway. A few more men passed, and Kondo returned to the room Yamazaki was seated in.

"Oi, we have a possible sexual assault as well."  
The moment the words escaped him, Kondo's eyes widened. The man promptly nodded, and dashed out of the room. In a matter of seconds, Yamazaki heard cars starting, and sirens. He was left alone, with nothing but this disturbing call. He didn't want to hear the horrid whispers, which were most likely the things nightmares were made out of. Yamazaki was a good guy; always smiling, and cheerful. While he had seen his fair share of violence, and death, this sort of thing made his stomach churn. There was nothing he could do from his side of the phone. He couldn't even call to the man, the name would feel dirty to him now. Such a common name; forever ruined. Each tap of what he assumed to be a belt or a knife strengthened the sense of dread, which tightened his chest. Loud footsteps could be heard and soon another woman started shouting.

"You nasty fuck, get off of her!"

Oh god, it was true. Yamazaki had been right all along. This was absolutely appalling, and he didn't want to keep the phone to his ear any longer. It would be so easy to hang up. Nevertheless, he couldn't. He had to know what was going on, and gather information. To his relief the moans stopped. To his dismay, his ear felt as though it would bleed from all of the yelling, and slamming, which ensued.

A girl was killed. Another girl yelled about it. The man shouted, and sickening gurgles filled Yamazaki's ear. The remaining voice was the second girl, sobbing, and calling out to her friend. She proclaimed that she couldn't live without her, and thus declared she would not let her friend be alone.

All Yamazaki heard was death, crying, and the familiar splatter of what he assumed to be blood. The perfect start to what he was positive would be a lifetime of nightmares.

* * *

**A/N: Wasn't that intense? Yeah. So this is my first attempt at a Hiji fict, please tell me what you think of it. **  
**The start is a bit dramatic, but as stated the entire story couldn't stay this intense, or twisted. (Uh, I think, at least)**  
**So- I'd love to hear your opinions :)**  
**Thank you for taking the time to read the first chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

Fire trucks and an ambulance arrived seconds after the members of the Shinsengumi. Though his face didn't seem to know it, Hijikata was slightly surprised that the large trucks had managed to maneuver up the winding road of the hill. An oversized campfire lit up what would have been a pitch-black night, spare for a few strategically placed lampposts. Flames licked the sky, and heat radiated off the rectangular building, which was no less than three stories high. Lighting a cigarette, Hijikata glanced up at the building. Kondo closed the door of his car, and Sougo walked up behind Hijikata. More car doors could be heard slamming shut, yet all remained silent. Maybe they were thinking the same thing.

The black iron gate seemed to be the only barrier between them and the insane. And they had to go in there. Surely, there were sane people there too. Somebody shouted something behind them, and before they knew it, the fire truck was being hooked to a conveniently placed hydrant. Kondo was the first to take the initiative. He walked to the gate, and fiddled with a stake that was connected to it. Managing to pull it from the ground, the man was somewhat surprised that the stake locked in place, and said gate creaked open as if they were on the set of a horror movie.

"Alright men, let's do this! Get all the survivors you can, there's suspected violence, so be prepared!" Giving his men a small dose of encouragement, Kondo started towards the door. Of course, everybody followed him. What started out as a brave walk turned into a squeamish sprint. Nobody stopped until they reached the front steps. When Kondo kicked the door, he found it was already open. Just a crack, but it had been obvious after he started the motion. The man managed to keep his balance, and immediately gazed at his team.

"Come on!"  
Cheers behind the man returned his encouragement, and soon, the group found themselves running through a burning building. Flames had covered small pieces of furniture, such as waiting couches, desks, and bits of the floor. Each room they passed was empty. Though they came to an elevator, each man knew it was a horrible option. Glancing over the hallway, Kondo found the sign for the staircase.

"Sougo, take a group through the second floor, Toushi, take the other half through the third! Move!"  
The two nodded, and soon all of the men were running to the stairs. Kondo took the time to search the first floor in case they had missed any rooms.

Tens of footsteps echoed through the stairwell, mixing with the constant pop of flames. When the group passed the door to the second floor, Sougo and his half ran through the door. Hijikata led his men to the top floor as instructed, and they were immediately met with a all white. A large electric security door was ahead of them, and they found themselves having to pause. Glancing back at his men, Hijikata flicked his cigarette butt away. Hey, the building was already burning; might as well.

Turning to the second division captain behind him Hijikata motioned to the door.  
"Nagakura." That was all he needed to say before the dark haired man walked to the barrier beside him. Unsheathing their swords, the men forced the blades into the crack of an opening. Together they pried it open, moving in opposite directions. Once the two sides separated, the other men moved to help. They gripped the thick metal doors, and forced them apart, providing a chance for Hijikata and Nagakura to sheath their blades.

The other side of the door revealed a very different scene. Instead of pure white walls, the decor gave way to faded gray wallpaper. Ceiling sprinklers were going off, and the fire substituted what would have been provided by electricity; light.

"Split up!" Barking the commands, Hijikata moved to the left leaving his men to search the rest of the floor.

* * *

On the second level, Sougo and his men had done the same. The only difference was the fact that the moment they pried to doors open, some deranged man with a flashlight charged towards them, shouting random obscenities. Of course, Sougo handled that. They figured this was the "Extra" crazy ward, so all survivors would be approached with extra caution. Not to Sougo's surprise, the most they came across was burning corpses, and beaten corpses. Most likely from a certain flashlight wielding lunatic. And it wasn't a small maglight, it was a large, _heavy duty metal, _maglight. In the minutes it took to explore the floor, they found no survivors. Each person had either been mutilated or was in the process of such at the hands of the spreading flames. Jogging through the stone corridor he had chosen, Sougo returned to the entrance, and waited for his men to regroup.

* * *

Kondo had the same luck, minus the people. The first floor proved to be empty. He didn't know if people had managed to flee, or if they had ventured deeper into the asylum in an attempt to evacuate the patients. Kondo wandered into what appeared to be a break room. It hadn't been touched by the flames yet, and was significantly cooler than the rest of the building. A large white refrigerator stood between two slabs of blue counters, and a wooden table rested in the middle of the room. A brass colored binder laid on the table, and Kondo walked to it. He flipped it open, only to find patient pictures and names. Knowing it would be useful in the process of contacting families, the man decided to take it with him.

* * *

As Hijikata wandered the halls, he made sure to check each room he passed. The man heard breaking glass in the distance, and the flames around him violently surged. He paused and stared farther down the hallway. He didn't see anybody. The third floor seemed to be the hottest, and sweat started to trail down the vice commander's neck and back. A few of his men yelled in the distance, something about a room full of bodies. Stepping over a corpse, Hijikata pushed another door open, five dead; four patients and a doctor. Three women and two men. One of the women was dressed in a lab coat, and laying beside a table. A wall phone was hanging, as if somebody had made a call and got distracted half way. Everybody had died of lacerations; knife wounds to various places. One of the patients, a girl, was partially uncovered, as was one of the men, indicating indecent activities. Glass glimmered in the light of the moon, and the fire of the hallway, obviously from a small window above the area. It was barred in. Whoever had attempted escape was unfortunate. Even if they had managed to somehow slip between the bars, they would never survive the fall.

Walking to the phone, Hijikata lifted it to his ear. The line was still open.  
"Oi."  
The eager voice which met the vice commander almost threw him off. He was expecting some sort of family member or clue.  
"Eh? Hijikata-San? Is that you?" It was Yamazaki.  
"Why are you still on the line?" Frowning, the vice commander gazed back at the door. He would not be caught off guard.  
"Erm, Sato-San stepped away to rape somebody. He's a doctor, and I was hoping he would get back to me." Yamazaki spoke in a tone, which was reaching for, yet falling short of optimistic.

"Well, the only doctor I see in here is a woman, and she's not raping anyone. If you mean the old bald guy with his sword hanging out, he's pretty dead too. And not a doctor. Take some other calls." Hanging the phone up, Hijikata started back towards the door. Well, that wasn't helpful in the slightest.

Moving back to the hallway, the vice commander continued. He pushed doors open; searching for survivors. Ones that weren't too crazy to live, that is. As he rounded a corner, Hijikata heard a sound that made the hairs on the back of his neck raise; something being slowly dragged along the wall. A shallow line was carved into the grey paint of the wall, leading farther down the hallway. It was almost as if somebody was dragging his or her nails down a chalkboard; at least, it had that same effect, minus the cringing. Pausing, the man gripped the handle of his sword. He proceeded with caution. The sound stopped, and the man slowed his pace. As Hijikata moved down the hallway, he caught sight of a woman. For some unknown reason, she was wearing nothing but a white tank top and a black pair of underwear. Well, that's what the other female patients were wearing; probably their night clothes. But that wasn't what Hijikata was looking at.

In her right hand, she held a bloody butcher knife; she was dragging her left hand along the wall behind her. The girl hadn't noticed him yet. She was walking away from him, paying no mind to the fire.  
"Oi, crazy! Stop where you are!"

The sound of his voice caused the woman to pause. Her fingers drummed along the handle of the knife, as well as the wall behind her, and Hijikata prepared to lop her head off. Unsheathing his sword, Hijikata remained in place; standing straight. The girl slowly turned around and gazed at him. Blood stained her tank top, and was splattered across her arms and face. Despite that face, she appeared to be calm.

A few men called to Hijikata, yet he ignored them, opting to focus on this strange woman. She dropped the knife, and it clattered to the floor, yet she still didn't move. Shoulder length brown hair clung to her skin, most likely from sweat. The temperature was changing quickly, and it wasn't getting any colder.

"Put your hands up, and turn around. Do a three sixty." Taking a step towards the woman, Hijikata maintained his grip on his sword. She didn't seem to be attacking. He didn't know if anybody else had found a survivor, and this girl could know what happened. Obviously, she had taken part in the murderous festivities.

The girl kept her head low, yet gazed up at him. A second passed before she hesitantly put her hands up, and turned as instructed. This was to check for weapons and normally, Hijikata would command the suspect to hold their shirt up as they turned. But from the looks of things, this girl didn't have anything on under her shirt, and he could easily see any oddity. When the girl finished turning, the vice commander ordered her to turn around once more. She obliged; not looking at him. When he commanded her to put her hands behind her head she complied once more, and the man closed the space between them. He pulled his handcuffs from his belt and grabbed her wrist. As Hijikata was positioning the girl's hands behind her back, a familiar voice caught his attention.

"Toushi! Did you find somebody?" Kondo rounded the corner behind the pair, and Hijikata glanced at him over his shoulder. Before he could respond, a loud smash interrupted the pair, and the building rumbled as if it was having its own earthquake. Everybody froze, and outstretched their arms to catch their balance. Well, except the girl. She leaned against the wall. Exchanging intense glances, Kondo and Hijikata knew what the other was thinking.

The building was starting to collapse. It was time to go.

* * *

**A/N: So, what do you think so far?**  
**Hope you liked the chapters, and I would love to hear (read) your opinion :)**


	3. Chapter 3

On the entire ride back to the Shinsengumi headquarters, Hijikata attempted to ask the woman for her name. She didn't speak. Not a single word or hum of recognition. If anything, the woman kept her head down, only stealing an occasional glance out of the window. Shaking his head, the vice commander lit a cigarette. This was going to be a long night. It already was.

Once out of the car, he opened the door for the woman. She didn't move, or even look at him.  
"Come on." Slightly irritated, the man couldn't help but frown. He didn't understand why she was being so silent. If he couldn't even get her name, how was he supposed to piece together what happened? The woman finally started to slide across the seat, and the moment she was close enough, he grabbed her upper arm and helped her out of the car. Kondo had already arrived, as well as Sougo. The sadist had apparently went back to bed as though nothing had happened. As he led the girl towards the entrance, Hijikata held Kondo's gaze. The girl tried to keep up with him. He couldn't help the fact that he was dragging her along.

Hijikata just wanted to get to bed. This was the start of his day off, and he had no intention of spending it with some loon. The moment he reached Kondo's side, the raven haired man released the girl and continued about his way.  
"I'm goin' to bed." He muttered, already feeling sleep tug at the edges of his mind. Kondo nodded, and studied the girl as Hijikata left. He noted that she glanced up at him for a split second, without lifting her head. Men started to pass them on either side, yet neither moved. The woman didn't spare a glance on any of them. Seeing that she wouldn't speak, Kondo decided to start.

"Follow me." Though he wished he could be friendlier, they had not met on a light note. People had died, and a serious crime had been committed. The girl did as instructed, and trailed behind him as he walked inside. Kondo held the door open for her, and led her to the interrogation room. Without a doubt, Yamazaki knew of the men's safe return, and had been relieved of his phone position. Kondo decided to attempt the work himself. It was just a woman in underwear and a tank top; she couldn't be that tough to talk to.

When he told the girl to take a seat, she moved to one of the chairs at the small wooden table against the wall. The room was plain and white, with nothing to look at. There were three chairs in total; one for the suspect, and two for officers. The woman sat in the one against the wall, and Kondo remained in place by the door.

"Do you want some water?"  
Glancing up at him, the girl was careful not to look for too long. Silence filled the room, and she continued to stare at the table. A moment passed, and she hesitantly nodded. Kondo promptly left the room, noting her odd behavior. Minutes passed, and he soon returned with two small paper cups. He placed one in front of the girl and she stared at it. The man watched as she flicked her eyes between the water and the desk.  
"It's not poisoned, if that's what you're thinking."

The woman didn't even look at him. It took a while before she slowly and awkwardly reached for the cup. Trying not to stare at the blood splattered over her shirt and arms, Kondo shifted his gaze. No need in wasting time.

"I'm Commander Kondo Isao. What's your name?"  
No response. The man sat down in one of the chairs across from her, patiently waiting. The woman continued to stare at the desk, not even attempting to reply. She seemed to be stiff, or rigid; much more uncomfortable than then they had found her. When he realized that she wouldn't answer, he decided to slow down and see just how competent she was. Maybe she was too crazy to answer.

"Do you know what's going on?"  
The girl stiffly nodded, and Kondo studied her.

"Can you speak?"  
Another delayed nod. So she was capable of responding, and was aware of her surroundings and the situation. That was a good sign.

"Tell me, how were you involved in that incident just now?" Now the girl just stared at the wall. She didn't make any attempt to speak; simply sat there. When she did peer at him, her hazel green eyes intensely bore into the man, and he shifted his gaze. Like she was trying to communicate without doing so. Yes or no questions seemed to be his limit.

"Were you involved in that fire?"  
Answers were what he needed, and this woman was next to no help. She needed to understand that she was in a very serious position here. She had frozen, and still avoided his gaze. Seconds passed, and she placed a hand to her head; motioning for a no.  
"Did you kill anybody?"  
Though he waited for an answer, he received none. Apparently, yes or no questions would only get him so far.

"Are you going to speak?"  
The girl shifted her gaze, and remained in place with her fingers partially laced into her hair. Again, she shook her head.  
"Did you cause the commotion?"  
Once more, the girl shook her head. Seeing that he was running out of questions, and still barely managed to learn anything, Kondo sighed. Not only was he sleep deprived, but he was now practically talking to a wall. That was never fun (not that he made a habit of it or anything). Fixing his gaze on the woman, whom was staring at the table, he placed his elbows on the desk.

"Is there anything I could get you that would make you more comfortable?"  
The woman glanced at him and placed her wrist on the edge of the table. It was an awkward motion, as if she was stiff. She pressed her forefinger to her thumb and rested them on her other fingers, which were loosely placed in the shape of a fist. She then moved her hand back and forth, and glanced at him.

Frowning, Kondo watched the motion. The woman was shaking, and he didn't know why. Maybe she was cold? As her gesture grew more dramatic, he frowned. He didn't understand. Why wouldn't she just speak?  
"Are you mentally unstable?"

His question caused the woman to halt once more. She allowed her hand to drop from her previous motion and off the table. The woman tilted her head to the side, and her brows raised with what appeared to be worry. This was definitely a "Do I look crazy to you" face, but while she was covered in blood, the answer to that question was yes. Maybe not entirely, or physically, but her clothes and the place they had found her suggested otherwise. Shaking his head, Kondo sighed. He was too tired for this. He had no idea how long he had spent trying to talk to her, but he would have to look through that binder he had found and locate her identity. He would proceed from there. Until then, somebody else could try to talk to her.

The room was cold to her, and it became more obvious when she crossed her arms over her chest. Glancing at the woman, Kondo stood up, and left the room. When he returned, he placed a folded blue blanket on the desk in front of her.  
"If you need anything, knock on the door." Leaving it at that the man left the room. A small click sounded, signaling that he had locked the door. For now he would rest. It was Hijikata's day off, and Sougo had night shift. Those two could get something out of the girl.

* * *

Hours passed, before anybody returned to the room. When the door finally opened, it was Sougo (not that she knew his name). He walked to the table yet did not sit down. The man crossed his arms, and leaned onto the wood, staring at her. The woman remained in place, with the thin blue blanket Kondo had given her wrapped around herself. Sougo eyed her for a moment, before deciding to speak; it didn't look like she would.

"So, why'd you do it?"  
Frowning, the girl slightly raised her head, yet it wasn't enough to look at him. Her eyes remained on the table, and Sougo studied her. Just as Kondo said, she wasn't speaking.  
"We know you killed them all. You stabbed almost every single person on that floor. You started that fire didn't you?"  
The girl hesitantly shook her head, but Sougo knew she was hiding something. If she wasn't, she would talk.  
"You wanted to see them burn didn't you? To kill them all, and watch them die. You probably enjoyed it. Did it make you feel good? Stabbing all of your little friends?"  
The girl looked up at him, and her expression bordered that of distress.  
"I didn't say you could look at me."

Immediately flicking her eyes down, the woman dropped her head once more. Her brown hair was matted to her skin still, and the blanket over her had dark smudges on it; from the blood.  
"Just admit to it. Speak." The man commanded, yet received no answer still. Smirking, Sougo knew it would take his kind of interrogation to make her crumble. She would talk.

The man walked to her side, and stared down at her. She only moved to stare at his shoes; slightly turning her head just enough to see his pants under the barrier of her hair.  
"It's pretty cold in here, ne?"  
Still no response. Donning no expression whatsoever, Sougo snatched the blanket from the girl's hands, and started towards the door.  
"Warmth is for people who talk." He stated, holding a disturbingly cheerful tone. With that, he was gone, leaving the girl to freeze. If that wasn't bad enough, the air conditioning started to blow harder. She was already seated under a vent, but now she didn't even have the little warmth that the thin blanket had provided.

* * *

**A/N: Oookay, so things aren't as crazy twisted as the first two chapter, yay. Lol**  
**Hope you enjoyed this one, and thank you for your reviews :)**


	4. Chapter 4

In the hallway, Sougo passed Hijikata. The Vice commanded had a cigarette in his hand, and stopped with an obvious question.  
"Still won't talk" Sougo confirmed, and the men went about their ways. Sleep had been limited that night. Kondo was the only one allowed to sleep in, because he had stayed up to try to talk to the girl. Sougo had apparently attempted the same, and now it was his turn. What fun. The moment the man walked into the room, the woman turned her head as if to look at the door, yet not doing so.

Recognizing that the shoes were different from Sougo's she looked up. Hijikata closed the door behind him. He had donned a dark kimono, and a pair of sandals. The man seated himself in the chair across from the woman, and took a drag of his cigarette. He had already tried to talk to her. Everybody else had experienced the same results as his first attempt in the car. Of course, it wouldn't hurt to try again, but he was too tired to deal with something like this. Moments passed, and he noticed the girl was staring at him. It seemed like a good time to start conversation. Despite her slight frown, it was an inviting expression. Something about the look portrayed her receptive nature.

"You can understand me, right?"  
Nodding, the woman shifted her gaze.  
"Why dont' you talk?"

The woman's lips twitched, and a short, cut off breath could be heard. She shifted her gaze, and pursed her lips; slightly lowering her head. Worry twisted her brow, as well as her lips, and she seemed to completely freeze. Hijikata frowned at her, wondering what the hell was wrong. Maybe she was just some crazy woman. Any normal person would have at least tried to deny the obvious suspicions aimed towards her. The woman didn't move. She seemed to have shut down, and stared at the table with her head hung. Well, this wasn't working.

Maybe it was just him, but the air in the room had grown tense. Hijikata averted his eyes. The man stood up, and gazed down at her. She didn't move. This was hopeless. If Kondo and Sougo couldn't get anything out of her, how did they expect him to? Shaking his head, Hijikata weighed and left the room. It was obvious that she wouldn't even try to speak. He locked the door behind himself, and headed to Kondo's office.

The door was open, and Kondo seemed to be in the middle of a conversation. Not offering a single word, Hijikata leaned onto the doorframe and gazed at the brunette man and Sougo. In the small amount of time he had been in the room, his cigarette hadn't even burned out.

"When I spoke to her she denied knowing anything about what happened, but as far as we're concerned, she's the only lead we've got. That woman only shakes her head or nods. Anything more and she just looked away. She has to know more, and we need her to tell us. It's not likely that an innocent by stander would be the only remaining person." Kondo sighed, and glanced at the two men, taking care to offer a short wave to Hijikata as he continued. "Maybe she's too crazy? Still, she's the only person that could know what happened though..."  
Frowning, Hijikata slowly nodded. He didn't know what to think. Apparently, Kondo had gotten the same response as him.

"She's not so crazy that she won't understand my methods." Sougo stated, and Kondo nodded slowly. Hijikata watched as the two exchanged glances once more. Kondo shifted his gaze and placed his elbows on his desk.  
"You can take over, Sougo."

The captain of the first division nodded, and Hijikata continued to watch; undeniably surprised. It must have shown on his face, because Kondo felt the need to reassure him.  
"He's just going to hang her today, nothing serious. She's just a woman; she can't take anything intense." As Kondo spoke, Sougo leaned up and started from the room. An addition to his already odd day; how necessary. To think that Kondo had just given Sougo permission to use his "methods" on the woman. It was obvious that all Sougo would do was treat her as cruelly as possible. That was no secret.

"Toushi, can you cover Sougo's shift tonight?" You'll have his next day off if you do; he insisted."  
Slowly nodding, Hijikata held his cigarette a few inches from his lips. There was nothing more to discuss. It had already been decided. The man took a drag from his cancer stick, and turned to leave the room. It was unusual for Kondo to condone the harsh treatment that Sougo would most definitely provide when it was directed towards a woman. The commander was always a kind, fun-loving guy. He had a tenancy to be too trusting, but that was apparently overridden by the call the night before.

What was possible over a hundred people had been murdered, and burned. Lives had been lost, and all of the evidence destroyed. Maybe he was desperate. For answers, a reason; anything. There was no telling whether there were children in the building. They would have to make sense of it all. To put names to the lost lives, and contact families. Maybe it was an accident. It was hard to believe that something that serious could be accomplished without intent though. Whatever had happened would have required effort. While Hijikata wasn't sure of much, there was one thing he did know. Some woman walking around covered in blood and holding a butcher knife didn't sound or look good. The fact that she had been the only one alive didn't make her seem any less guilty.

As Hijikata passed the interrogation room, he heard soft sniffles, but paid it no mind. She _needed_ to break. To tell them what happened.

* * *

Kondo spent the afternoon flipping through the binder he had retrieved. He was searching for the woman, of course. When he reached the end of the binder, he frowned. It had taken him hours, to look through each and every picture. Every single page. In addition, he hadn't seen her at all. Hours had been spent searching the brass-tinted book; to no avail. When he opened it once more, he realized the issue right away.

N to Z. The book he had only had the patients with surnames from N to Z. He only had half of the people. Now he would have to find A to M, and the woman's identification. Sometimes, there seemed like there just wasn't enough time in one day. He was still exhausted, and not, he found that the bit of information he had managed to obtain would do him no good in this situation. Allowing his head to fall into the open binder, Kondo sighed. He hated this. Not the work, but that something so horrible happened to all of those people. Then this woman comes along, and won't even help solve the mystery of what happened. The day just got harder and harder. More questions popped into his mind, and he knew that he would have to find an answer on his own.

While it was sad to think of what was going to happen to that woman, it wasn't something that could be helped. She had to help them for them to help her. If she wanted to sit there and be a wall all day, she was only making things harder on herself. Sougo could be heard going into the room, and commanding the woman to get up and follow him. Hopefully after a night of being suspended, she would break. Whatever she was hiding needed to come out, because as far as he was concerned, he had a hundred lives and a dead building, but no reason behind it. What would he say? To the families, that is. The news had probably already caught wind of the incident; if a burning hill wasn't enough to catch their attention he didn't know what was.

He had to make phone calls. To tell people that their sons, daughters, spouses and grandparents had perished. But he had no reason to offer them. Simply saying that a large building caught fire, and nobody escaped wasn't believable. Then he had the woman with the knife.

It was too much for one day. Something like this could take months to solve.

* * *

**A/N: See? Just as I promised, it's not so ridiculously twisted now. Just a little dark. lol Honestly the girl's name doesn't get revelaled for a few more chapters. She has to be able to communicate first lol.**


	5. Chapter 5

Two days passed and not a single word was heard about the girl in the dungeon. Everybody moved about their regular business. Hijikata pulled a double; working Sougo's night shift and his own morning schedule. When evening arrived, and he finally made it back to his room, the man collapsed onto his bed. He didn't even bother to take his uniform off. Exhaustion seeped into his limbs, making the man feel a hundred times heavier. In a matter of seconds, he found himself in a dreamless slumber. His body became dead weight, and the man felt he could finally relax.

Over twelve hours were spent like this. It was unusual for the man to sleep so long. He normally kept a strict schedule, but that damn girl threw everything off. Eventually, a scream roused the man from the black curtain of his eyes. He turned over in his bed the man attempted to sleep one more, only to find that the noise had unsettled him. In the back of his mind, he knew exactly what was going on. It was obvious, who was being treated harshly enough to yell. Though he wanted to ignore it, sleep was impossible to achieve. Clearly, Sougo had just started this to deprive him of rest. That one scream seemed to be the first; otherwise, it would not have bothered him.

Thoroughly annoyed, the man forced himself from his bed. A loud sigh parted his lips, and he left his room. Sougo was the one to blame. Storming to the torture chamber, Hijikata pushed the thick iron door open. He was greeted with musty air, which carried the scent of blood and tears of many a man.  
"Damn it Sougo, use quiet methods!"

The moment Hijikata burst into the room, his eyes widened. He hadn't expected what he saw. It seemed harsh. Extreme, even. Leave it to Sougo to go overboard. Closing the door behind himself, Hijikata eyed the various primitive machines set up for this very occasion. Instead, Sougo had opted to chain the woman to the ceiling. Her arms weren't behind her back, if she had been left like that, said arms would have probably been broken. Her ankles were held together with a single cuff, and chained to the floor.

She limply hung in place, and her brown hair blocked her from view. She still hadn't gotten a change of clothes, and large red welts had formed on her skin; some spots leaking dribbles of blood. Sougo gazed at Hijikata, holding a whip in both hands. The captain didn't respond, just stared at Hijikata as he approached. Short, labored pants filled the air; originating from the thin form, which was suspended by chains. Gazing up at the girl, Hijikata noted that her tank top had been ripped. The tattered edges barely covered her navel, and her shirt was dyed with more scarlet than before.

"She hasn't spoken the entire time, but I'm sure she can- She screams." Sougo glanced at the vice commander, and Hijikata reached into his coat. The man pulled a cigarette from his pocket, and stared at the captain of the first division.  
"What the fuck Sougo? you're supposed to get information; not kill her!"

Sougo flashed Hijikata an innocent look; as if he hadn't known that she was injured. Hijikata stared at him, and brought his mayonnaise shaped lighter to the end of his cigarette.

"Let me take over. Go take a break."  
Coolly glancing at Sougo, the vice commander took a drag of his cigarette. Sougo slowly nodded, before adding his usual snide remark.  
"Hmm, okay but don't do dirty things while I'm gone. We're not that far into the process yet."  
Scowling, Hijikata shook his head.  
"Dumb ass! I'm not doing anything like that!"

Sougo took a moment to stare at the vice commander. He nodded once more and stated that he could use a lunch break. The captain slowly stepped towards Hijikata and handed him the whip he had been holding. Without a word, Sougo exited the room. Hijikata waited for the door to close, and gazed up at the woman. She hadn't moved, or even looked at him. Her shoulder length brown hair still obscured his view of her. She kept her eyes on the ground.

Labored breaths still filled the air, and Hijikata studied the cuffs around her wrists and ankles. The metal had been fastened too tightly. It had burrowed into her skin, and blood trailed down her arms and feet. Obviously, the girl couldn't take much more. She had been suspended for over twenty-four hours. Whether she had been lowered at all during that period was a mystery. She seemed to be shaking; a signal that her body would give out soon.

Cautiously glaring up at the woman, Hijikata allowed the tip of the whip to fall from his hand and tightened his grip on the handle. He circled around her; still studying each bright welt on her arms and legs. Even her abdomen and back had not been spared. Everything was bleeding, save for her face. She appeared to have bitten her lip; a small dark trail led from the corner of her mouth to her chin. When Hijikata stepped to her and peered up at the woman, he found she avoided his gaze. Though she wasn't looking at him, when the vice commander tightened his grasp on the whip the woman barely flinched. Her eyes squint for a moment, and he saw a painful grimace cross her. She turned her head, as if she didn't even want to see him or him to see her; positive that he was going to continue where Sougo had left off.

Well, that was his job. Moving around the woman once more, Hijikata positioned the whip. Was there even a place which had not been struck? He couldn't see one. If anything, Sougo only seemed to avoid her intimate areas. Everything else was fair game. Frowning, the vice commander tightened his grasp on the whip. He was supposed to do this. There was no need to feel sorry for the suspect. She probably _had_ killed all of those people. Even if she was just a small woman, she was probably capable of such things. It was obvious what she had done- The crimson tank top and bloody knife spoke loudly enough.

But all the red skin made it too hard. He couldn't break what was already broken. It just wasn't in him. This was ridiculous. The woman didn't seem to be crazy. She didn't appear dangerous, or as though she held any form of malevolent thoughts. From where he stood, she appeared to be a weak, defenseless woman, with next to nothing to wear. Apparently, anticipation had built within her. She slightly squirmed, and her chains rustled. It became clear that the reasoning behind her movement was her wrists. Her hands were practically white. The moment she moved, a new stream of blood started towards her elbows and eventually her shoulders.

Sighing, Hijikata dropped the whip. He couldn't do it. To torture a man was different. Men were far more capable of brutal acts. But this woman- Though they had not really spoken there was something about her expressions... For some reason, he doubted her involvement. But Sougo would be more difficult to convince. So would Kondo, especially under such pressure. While Kondo was known to be trusting, a burning asylum and body count near a hundred was enough to drown out the man's compassion. While Hijikata didn't have much of that, he couldn't help but feel this was wrong.

The man moved to the remote panel, still studying the woman. She hadn't turned to look at him. Sighing, he lowered the chain, which held her up, to a height at which she could stand. Pressing a single button, he released the girl's wrists. She crashed to the cement below, and a loud pant escaped her. Though the girl caught herself, her arms gave out; causing her to crumple to the ground.

As he approached her, the woman kept her eyes to the floor. She managed to force herself up on her arms, though it was obvious that she had to lock herself in place. Brown hair still covered her face, matted with blood and sweat. When he was only a meter away, the woman crawled back. Apparent fear controlled her and she left a dark crimson trail in her wake as she dragged herself backwards. She still wasn't looking at him. With one more step, he found the woman moving away again. The chain connected to her ankle cuff snapped, signaling that she could go no farther.

Though pain crossed her, she forced herself to lean up still; locking her arms straight. Dark bruises and cuts circled the outside of her wrists. Sighing, Hijikata knelt down and maintained the meter distance. He extended a single hand towards her, as if she was a stray animal that he was trying to trick with food.  
"Come here."

Once again, the woman didn't glance up at him. Minutes passed, and neither moved. He knew she could understand him, and could only imagine what Sougo had done to make her so skittish (other than the beating of course). Eventually, the woman placed a hand closer to him, as if she was contemplating the reality behind the situation, as well as whether he was trustworthy. When Hijikata sat on the ground, a bit closer, she fully recoiled. Despite the fact that her legs were chained together she attempted to use them to scoot back; only to be restricted.

Sighing, Hijikata took a drag of his cigarette. The cherry had died. Pulling his novelty lighter from his coat, Hijikata re-lit said smoke and took long, deep drags. He didn't understand what he was doing. This was probably against some sort of rule somewhere. But if it was, he had never seen it before. It wasn't like he was helping the woman escape. She carefully lowered herself to the ground; obviously unable to support her own weight any longer. A deep breath escaped her, and Hijikata glanced over the room. In a matter of seconds, he had finished the half-cigarette, and stubbed in out on the cement beside him.

The woman had sunk into the ground, and Hijikata assumed the cool sensation calmed the burn of her injuries. Her hair still covered her face, yet Hijikata could see a small portion of her hazel eyes. She still hadn't changed. Her clothes were even more revealing now. Shaking his head, Hijikata pulled his coat off. He tossed it over the girl's back, and she glanced towards him. The vice commander met her indirect gaze, before offering an answer to the question which tugged at her features.  
"It's not appropriate for you to parade around like that."

Upon hearing his words she lowered her eyes. A second passed before she slowly nodded. Ever-so carefully, the woman leaned up, and moved towards him. Her struggle was apparent; and she bent her knees as if it would help her. It really didn't. His jacket remained over her shoulders, and the once yellow fasteners slowly turned dark. He had figured it would soak up some blood. The woman stopped beside his lap, and peered up at him. Despite that fact, she wasn't looking directly at him. She held no emotion, yet her feelings seemed to be etched into the blank expression. Maybe it was the look in her eyes.

Her lips parted, as if she was mouthing tiny inaudible words. Desperation tugged at her brows, and the man shifted his gaze. Though he studied the slight motion, he didn't understand. Hijikata frowned, yet didn't move.

She must have realized that he hadn't comprehended. The woman lowered her gaze, allowing her hair to fall back into its regular position. She slowly nodded, and laid back down on ground; defeated. Hijikata glanced at her once more. He couldn't help himself; she had made an attempt at communication. But that brought more questions. From the look in her eyes, she was trying. Why was it so hard to speak? But she claimed she could... The man shook his head and sighed. Ignoring the girl, he pushed himself to his feet. She seemed to be ignoring him as well; paying no mind when the chains that had suspended her were lowered.

The moment they were low enough for her to sit for a while, the door opened. Glancing up, Hijikata found Sougo entering the room. His smirk seemed to have been replenished. If anything, he appeared to be eager to resume.

"Hijikata-Kun, what are you doing?"  
Flicking his disinterested gaze over the sandy-haired captain, Hijikata pulled a cigarette from his vest. He lit it, and stared at Sougo with a raised eyebrow.  
"What does it look like? I was interrogating her, idiot."  
The vice commander remained in place, and Sougo approached him. Something about being in the torture chamber with Sougo alone made him a touch nervous. Not that it showed, but as often as Sougo tried to kill him; it wasn't a good idea. Maybe the fact that he actually had somebody to torture kept him from setting up plans for Hijikata. It had been a few days. As far as he was concerned, Sougo had spent his time in this room. Well, there was a period of time when the woman had been left alone, but after that the torture most likely began.

"Trying to seduce it out of her?" Sougo raised an eyebrow to the man, causing Hijikata to gaze down at his vest. He had already forgotten he had no coat. Shooting an annoyed expression at Sougo, Hijikata snorted in dry humor. Sougo had stopped in front of him, and seemed to be studying the vice commander a bit too intensely. Without warning, the captain took his cigarette.  
"Oi!"

At first, it seemed as if Sougo was just being an idiot and trying to anger him. But the moment the captain walked towards the woman's form on the ground, his intentions were clear. The woman hadn't moved. She still laid on her side, obviously exhausted.

"Get up."

Carefully gazing up at him, the woman allowed her hair to fall from her face. A sinister grin crossed Sougo, as he held her gaze.  
"Did I say that you could look at me?" The words were met with a quick shift of her eyes; widening Sougo's expression.  
"Can you stand?"  
The woman shook her head, and Sougo slowly nodded.  
"Fitting, for a murderer. You killed all of those guards and your little crazy friends too, ne? Set the place on fire to destroy the evidence, and escape, right?"

Once more, the woman shifted her gaze; opting to look at the chains she knew she would be suspended by again.  
"Or was it to kill yourself with them? Are you that crazy?" Pausing, Sougo glanced at the cigarette in his hand.  
"Get up." He repeated, and the woman remained in place. She hesitantly placed her palms on the ground, but it was obvious that she couldn't. Though Sougo knew that, he knelt beside her, and pressed the burning end of Hijikata's cigarette to the back of her palm. A pained whimper filled the air; shifting Hijikata's gaze and crossing his arms. He had barely heard the girl scream, yet she already had so many wounds. How long had it taken her to make a sound? If a cigarette burn only enticed am airy whimper, what did that mean? He had seen this a million times, but this was different. Something was wrong.

* * *

**A/N: I have a name for her, but thank you for offering to help! :)  
I've actually written all the way to chapter 10 so far, and I think the first time it's told is chapter 8 :3 lol  
Thank you for your reviews!  
**


	6. Chapter 6

Earlier in the day, the men had left the torture chamber. Sougo didn't seem bothered by his methods at all, if anything he appeared to be more cheerful than usual. They had left the girl on the floor, to give her a sort of rest, but it was obvious that once morning arrived, Sougo would gladly return. Without a single word, Hijikata headed towards his room. The moment he opened his door, a loud snap sounded, and he found a sledgehammer flying towards him. Jumping out of the way the man stared at the trap wide eyed. calm footsteps behind him caught is attention, and the vice commander turned to glare at the sandy-haired captain.  
"Damn it Sougo!"

The hammer barely swung past the doorframe, and lost momentum once it reached the end of its course. Low creaks could be heard as it slowly swayed to a halt. Sougo glanced at Hijikata before offering a slight smirk and continuing away. That had to be one of the "best" traps Sougo had set in the past week. Hijikata gripped the handle of the hammer and pulled it from its makeshift suspension. Sougo had used clothes instead of rope to hold it up. He must have been rushing. Shaking his head, the vice commander moved into his room and glanced around himself to check for more traps. It looked safe. He would catch up on his sleep, and focus on this new case in the morning. It was Sougo's day off, which translated to Hijikata's day off once morning arrived.

Hijikata would talk to Kondo in the morning, and help him figure out exactly who the woman was. They would find some sort of way to make her speak, and she would tell them what happened. If only the asylum hadn't burned down. Most likely, the only thing that remained was the charred skeleton of a building. Most crazy people like one item. Be it a stuffed animal or some kind of book or box. This would be so much easier if Hijikata could walk into the torture chamber with his sword to a stuffed bunny's neck and get all the answers he needed.

The thought alone made him snicker. He would say something like "If you don't talk, the bunny's gonna get it", in a stern tone. The woman would scream and cry, then spill her guts for the sake of her beloved cuddle buddy. If only it was that simple.

* * *

In his office, Kondo was busy making calls. He needed to find the other half of the patient logs. Hopefully, the other "Happy Meadows" asylum would have backups. They were funded by the same family and government organizations. Surely, they had the same files. The man fiddled with his pen, as he listened to the nurse's voice. He had already explained the situation and while she sounded as though she was trying to be helpful, it became apparent that she wasn't the brightest bulb in the bunch.

"So you need the first half of the book?"  
"Yes." Kondo answered, nodding as if she could see him. The woman's soft voice carried a light hum through the phone and he could hear high heels clacking along tile. It was as if she was completely cheerful. Like she didn't remember that he had just explained the horrible death of over a hundred patients. It made him anxious. Why was this not a big deal to her? It could have very easily been her building instead of the other. All the woman had said was "that's horrible, my condolences" as if he was the one suffering. While it was stressful, it was the families that needed comfort.

"You know, I've always said that fires should be illegal. Sometimes, they just get too violent, you know what I mean?"  
Frowning, Kondo pulled the black phone away from his ear an eyed it. Really? That's all she had to say?  
"Uh... Yeah.." Kondo murmured, unsure of how to respond to such stupidity. The woman started to talk to another person in the background and he found himself anxiously awaiting her word. When the conversation dragged on and suddenly focused on a baby shower, the commander ran a hand through his brown hair. This was getting painfully annoying. Finally, the woman started to speak to him again.

"Okay! The Facility Director said we have backups logged in the database. You're with the Shinsengumi, right? Do you want a flash drive, or should we print the papers out and organize them in a folder for you?"

Excitement coursed through Kondo as he heard her words.  
"Which one is faster?" Tightening his grasp on the pen in his hand, the man felt his eyes slightly widen. That was easier than anticipated.  
"Umm, I think the computer one."

Nodding the man felt he had managed to finally accomplish something. He almost smiled as relief washed over him.  
"Great! That's what I need, when can I pick it up?"  
A brief pause took the conversation, and Kondo felt his pulse increase. This was going to be much easier once he could identify the woman. He would know everything about her, her issues, why she had been admitted, and so forth.  
"There's a two week waiting period and processing time." The woman stated, and his jaw dropped. His momentary sense of accomplishment crashed, and all form of color drained from his features.  
"What? Waiting period? This is serious! I can't spare two weeks!"

The woman fell silent once more, and he shook his head.  
"Look, I need those files sooner. We found one of the patients, and need her information."  
"Oh?" She asked, and hummed with thought.  
"What's her name?"  
"That's the issue, she won't tell us." Kondo sighed, feeling a slight headache start to settle over him.  
"Well, we could send a doctor over to possibly identify her..."  
"She's in isolation at the moment. We need to identify her on our own." The man stated, glancing over the room. He wrote down the date and added two weeks to the time only to find that it seemed an impossible distance away.

"Well, what does she look like? Crazy eyes, or blonde hair?"  
"Shoulder length brown hair. Green eyes. Light skin, small frame. She's not overly skinny, and looks healthy... Hmm, she doesn't appear to be crazy at first glance... If she hadn't been in the asylum, she would look like the kind of person you would see walking in the park or something. But she won't talk. She doesn't even try to. Avoids eye contact, and gets nervous and rigid whenever she's asked a question..." After his description, Kondo contemplated his words. The nurse remained quiet, probably doing the same.  
"Hmm, I think I know whom you're talking about, but I'm not sure... Probably from around a month ago, but we see people all the time... The way she acts sounds like a social disorder... _Can _she speak or understand you?"

Frowning Kondo idly wrote down the nervous mannerisms the woman had displayed.  
"She can communicate. She nods or shakes her head, but even that seems to be a challenge."  
"No, no." The woman sounded as though she considered him a child. While she was dull in a mind sense, this subject seemed to start some sort of thought process related gears in her mind.  
"_Can she speak? _Is it _possible _for her to speak? Does she try to or is she just being defiant?"  
Pondering the questions, Kondo shifted his gaze.  
"I... I don't know..." He answered truthfully. The woman remained silent, and he felt the need to look into this case more. He needed the files and she had to get them prepared as soon as possible.

"Two weeks is too long to wait, and I have more calls to make. Please contact me the moment the information is available. Preferably within the next few days." Now he wanted nothing more that to end this call. He would find a way to get those files. The woman cheerfully agreed, and before he knew it, she had hung up.

That was barely any help at all. But now he had new questions to ask the suspect.  
Next, he called the investigation team. They had been informed of the fire and were currently looking into it. He needed a status update. The dial tone sounded and Kondo jotted down a few questions such as whether the girl could speak, or if she had a social complication. The moment a man's voice greeted him, Kondo dropped his pen.

"Oi, this is Commander Isao. I'm calling to see how the investigation is going." The man on the other side of the phone grunted an "Oh" before continuing. In the background, a car horn could be heard, and Kondo assumed he was in the middle of traffic. A lighter flicked and the ticking of what was assumed to be a turn signal sounded.

"We've collected some evidence, but most of it was destroyed by the fire squad. Those hoses can do a good amount of damage on the scene... My men are still out there looking for more data, but I'm taking some samples back to the lab now. I have a speculation, but I'll wait until it's confirmed before telling you. Gotta evaluate and document my findings. I'll fax the papers to you in two days, alright?" The man's gravelly voice gave the words a dark edge, but it was still encouraging news. Kondo nodded, and sighed at the thought of something not taking a month to be completed.

"Great! Thanks, Mori-San."  
"No prob, chief." The line clicked, signaling the end of the call, and Kondo felt he could relax, even if it was just a bit. Really, there was no need to over-stress himself. The people were already dead; the fire had already burned out. If anything he felt he should be thankful that at least one person was saved. However, that same person could be the murderer. Though that was very true, the man forced the frown from his face, and leaned back in his chair. He needed to calm down. If anybody could get information out of the woman, it was Sougo.

* * *

**A/N Yay! Two updates in one day. **  
**(Can you tell how eager I am? I've never written a mystery, but this is fun lol)**

**In reply to a guest review, I do plan to update this story as often as Dark Silk :) When I get ideas, they go crazy! I end up writing for a full day, and crashing to sleep, lol. Honestly, I have more chapters of this story ready than Dark Silk, but that will be fixed. Thank you for your review :) I'm glad to know you like my stories, it means a lot to me :)  
**


	7. Chapter 7

When morning arrived, Hijikata found himself being awoken by Sougo. The captain cheerfully instructed him to hurry and dress himself so they could interrogate the woman again. Though he wondered when he had become a part of this team, Hijikata groggily agreed. The man washed up, and pulled his clothes on before heading to the chamber.

When he arrived, Sougo was already standing over the woman. She was sitting up, staring at the ground as he spoke.  
"Are you ready to talk yet?"

Seconds passed, and the girl didn't even attempt to respond. Sougo glanced at Hijikata and motioned to the control panel for the suspension device.  
"Oi, lower the chain."  
Slowly nodding, Hijikata complied. He walked to the platform remote, and allowed the chain to drop to the ground. The loud clatter caused the girl to jump, but she didn't move. Her ankles were still cuffed together, and the swollen welts that had formed on her skin had melted into nothing but lines of cuts. She still hadn't been allowed to wash, or given any clothes. However, she had pulled his coat over her shoulders again at some point during the night. Just looking at the gashes of her wrists was painful. They had turned black with a bruise, and Hijikata didn't even want to imagine her ankles.

Sougo cuffed the girl's wrists again, and she grimaced but didn't move.  
"Hop onto the platform." The captain commanded, and the girl remained completely still. She glanced at her feet, as if signaling that it was impossible, but that didn't seem to matter to Sougo. He signaled to Hijikata to tighten the chains, and the man slowly obliged. Obviously, he wasn't trying to hurt her, just move her. Slightly annoyed by his "partner-in-torture's" hesitance, Sougo walked to his side and brushed his hands away. Apparently, the vice-commander didn't know what he was doing. Either that or he had gone soft. Glancing at Hijikata, Sougo increased the speed of the chain, and dragged the girl across the cement. She whimpered, but that was expected. And intended. Hijikata's coat fell from her shoulders, as she moved, and once again; she was barely clothed. How humiliating.

When the girl was in place, Sougo pushed the lever once more, and she was jerked up by her wrists. When a low, uncomfortable release of her breath sounded, he could have sworn Hijikata shifted his gaze. Ignoring the swaying woman, Sougo turned to him.  
"What? The _Demon vice commander _can't take this?"  
Scowling, Hijikata narrowed his eyes at Sougo.  
"Yeah right. Since when was I a part of this process anyway?"  
Tilting his head, Sougo almost smiled.  
"Since you invited yourself in yesterday." The sandy haired man stated, and his cheerful expression slipped. He eyed Hijikata, and moved to pull a whip from the floor where he had left it the day before.

Walking back to the panel, Sougo handed Hijikata the whip. The vice commander eyed it, as Sougo fiddled with the controls of the chains. One by one, the links raised, as did the woman's panic. When he knew he had reached her limit, Sougo stopped. The woman was being stretched to a point that she was afraid to move. Maybe this was a better position to question her in.  
"So, why did you kill them?" The captain spoke in a nonchalant tone, as if this was an everyday process to him. No answer. Glancing at Hijikata, Sougo motioned to the girl. A smirk had curled his lips, and Hijikata knew what he was implying. He wanted him to whip her. While she was being stretched. Acting as though he didn't understand, Hijikata casually pulled a cigarette from his coat. He lit it with his mayonnaise lighter, and moved to a small chair across the room. The muggy air gave him the impression that his cigarette would be extinguished if he stopped smoking. Therefore, he focused on that instead.

The chain rose once more, and an alarmingly low cry of pain escaped the woman. That was probably some excruciating shit. Hijikata just watched on, trying not to think too much of it. She had practically done this to herself. There was no reason to feel bad for her. If she just spoke, even one word would make everything easier on her. But damn, Sougo was brutal. He didn't even care that she was a woman.

Finally after minutes of tense silence, Sougo allowed the chain to grow slack. It still supported the woman, but she was no longer being stretched. Slight pants parted her lips, and Hijikata knew it was from the intensity of that moment. Nevertheless, if it was so bad, why didn't she scream or say something? Sougo glanced back at the man with narrowed eyes, before grabbing a whip of his own, and strolling in front of the woman.

"Are you ready to talk yet?" He sounded cheerful, despite the fact that this was not a time for such blatant happiness. The woman's head hung, and she remained unresponsive. Without warning, Sougo whipped her and even Hijikata cringed at the sight. Not a single sound. She didn't even move. A series of strikes to the woman's thighs seemed to be too much for her to bear and she eventually released what could only be described as a combination between exhaling and trying not to cry out. Sougo was not going easy on her. Hijikata didn't know how much more he could watch. This was quickly growing unbearable. He had never seen a woman actually tortured like this. Women always broke at the mention of torture. The sight of a whip was enough to scare a woman, and they would easily comply to all demands and answer any questions. Something was wrong. Leaning onto his knees, Hijikata stared at the stone wall to his side; simply listening.

"You've got a pretty voice; you should use it to get you out of this." Immediately after speaking, another strike sounded and the chains rattled. Before he knew it, a barely audible yelp filled the air. Hijikata avoided even looking. This was horrible. It wouldn't be so bad if it was a man, but this... Bringing his cigarette to his lips, Hijikata found that the ember had died. He stared at the brown tip of the smoke, before relighting it. Glancing at the girl, he was not surprised to see that she was already bleeding. Sougo didn't care that it was a woman, he was enjoying himself.

The captain took a short break, and slowly circled around the woman. She was already breathing heavily, yet did not move. Seconds passed, and the Sougo walked to the door. He placed his whip on a small table with straps on it, and left without a word. The woman didn't even acknowledge Hijikata's presence. She stared at the ground below her, just hanging there. At least her arms weren't behind her. Peering at her, Hijikata sighed.

"Either you're actually crazy or just stupid. Wouldn't it make more sense to just talk?"  
His words were met with silence, and the man shook his head. Minutes later Sougo reentered the room. He walked to the suspect's side, and peered up at her; holding a bottle of cold water.  
"Are you thirsty?" The man asked, and she remained frozen. It took a moment, but eventually the girl slowly nodded. Sougo stared up at her, and twisted the top off the water. The man then drank the entire bottle, forcing the woman to either watch or avert her eyes. Her lips pursed, and she chose to look away as he finished and tossed the bottle to the side of the room; smirking.  
"Yeah, me too." Nodding, the sandy-haired man walked to the spot he had left his whip. "All this fun really makes me hungry, too."

Staring at the scene, Hijikata felt himself gazing at the captain with mild disgust. He had known Sougo could be fucked up, but this topped the scale. Though he didn't say anything, Hijikata realized just how uncomfortable the woman had to be. She had been chained for well over forty-eight hours. Who knows if she had slept? She had gotten no food, no water, no clothes, and hadn't even been able to wash herself. This was getting worse the more he thought about it. Even if she was the murderer, she was probably just insane; she didn't deserve this.

Weren't they supposed to be the good guys? Since when did good guys do things like this? This seemed as if Sougo had used Kondo's panic against the commander. As if Sougo just wanted somebody to legally torture under the false pretense of a good cause. Hijikata wouldn't put it past him, to do such a thing. The captain stepped closer to the woman, and gazed up at her. She was already covered in blood. The room was cold, yet she still managed to sweat. Though it was obvious that the perspiration burned her injuries, she wasn't making a sound. Her breaths grew farther apart, and Sougo tilted his head.

"Hmmm, you don't look too good..."

Hijikata flicked his old cigarette away and immediately lit another. He needed two. Maybe ten. The more he contemplated this scene, the more he wanted it to stop. It would be much different if it was a guy; was that so much to ask? But the fact that this woman was so silent... It was disturbing. Mentally kicking himself, Hijikata allowed his mind to wander and crossed his arms. Everybody was overlooking something. Something important about that woman. There had to be a reason behind her silence; more than simple defiance. Defiance always accompanied curses, it she didn't want to break, she would yell something like "fuck you", or maybe something worse. When she reached her limit, she would beg, and tell them she would speak. But she did none of those things. He intensely watched the scene, despite the fact that his head was slightly tilted down.  
"Are you about to pass out? You can't take anymore?" Sougo asked, and the girl didn't respond. Though it didn't seem possible the woman went limp. Even more so than she already had been.

Sougo studied her for a second, before walking to one of the stone walls. He grabbed a water hose, and turned it on without hesitation. Hijikata already knew what he was going to do and remained silent.

"You wanna do it, Hijikata-Kun?" Sougo held up the water hose, and a dry snort of amusement escaped Hijikata.  
"I'm just here to watch your methods." The man stated, shaking his head. He didn't want to have a part in this. Slowly nodding, Sougo pressed the handle of the nozzle on the hose. It sprayed properly, and he switched the setting from a regular shower spray to a single jet stream. He walked over to the girl, and without hesitation sprayed her with the icy water.

She immediately jumped, and gasped at the contact. Despite the fact that she was awake, Sougo continued to spray her. The woman tried to squirm away, to no avail. Hijikata realized that Sougo was just using washing her as a method of torture. Creative, yet sinister; creatively evil. Sougo circled the girl and drenched her with the pressurized stream of cold water, which was no doubt painful. He took care to spray her hair, and every inch of exposed skin as well at the small amount of clothes she had. Eventually, she stopped trying to squirm away, and gave up.

Hijikata silently noted that the cold water would probably dull the ache of her wounds, but only until Sougo started inflicting more. The captain sprayed the suspect in the face, resulting in coughs, and attempts to turn away. Well, leave it to Sougo to counteract a semi-good deed with drowning. When he finished, Sougo move to the wall, and calmly turned the hose off.

"Did you think that passing out would make me go away?"  
When the girl didn't respond, he slowly nodded.  
"Hope you got enough water." He added, slightly chuckling.

Now that the woman wasn't covered in blood, she looked like a human even more. Her clothes, and hair still clung to her skin, and Hijikata didn't even want to think about the white tank top and how uncomfortable the woman must have been.  
"You might as well admit to your crime. If you do, you'll get a pretty striped shirt. Doesn't that sound nice?"

And apparently Hijikata was right. Sougo was using her most definitely transparent shirt as a source of humiliation. The woman shook her head, and surprised crossed the captain's features. Though it only lasted for a split second, it was still apparent. The girl hadn't answered in a while. He slowly nodded, as if she had begged him to try harder. Seeing where this was going, Hijikata stood up. The vice commander had seen enough; had his fill of whatever this was.

He walked to Sougo's side, completely ignoring the woman.  
"Oi, let's go get something to eat..." Placing his hand on the whip Sougo held, Hijikata pushed it down and caught the man's eyes. The captain slowly nodded, and glanced up at the girl.  
"I'll see you later." He stated in a disturbingly cheerful tone before heading towards the door at Hijikata's side. The vice commander opened said door, and glanced back at the woman before exiting the room behind Sougo.

* * *

**A/N: Hmm, I kinda don't like these torture scenes. Meh, whatever. It was somewhat fun to write. Somewhat. Hopefully, I'll be able to post another chapter today (and it won't be torture, lol).**

**Thank you all for your reviews :)**


	8. Chapter 8

An hour passed, and Hijikata had managed to distract Sougo until the start of his shift. Somehow, he had survived multiple attempts at taking his life, but he hadn't expected any less. Once the sadist was dressed and leaving to patrol, Hijikata made his move. He walked to Kondo's office, and was slightly surprised to find the man sleeping with his head in a binder. The vice commander approached the man, and shoved his hands into his pockets.  
"Oi, Kondo..."

His voice caused the commander to slightly stir, and Hijikata repeated his name. When a pair of groggy eyes peered up at him, Hijikata slowly averted his gaze.  
"Toushi... What is it?"  
Sitting up, Kondo wiped his eyes as well as a trail of drool, which had collected in the corner of his mouth. Hijikata studied the man and contemplated his approach before speaking. It was unlike him to have any sort of issue with their methods, but then again, it was their job to protect the citizens of Edo. He couldn't remain silent.

"I just got out of the basement. The chamber... That woman still isn't talking..."  
Kondo slowly nodded, and ran a hand up the back of his neck.  
"Well, Sougo will get her to-"  
"No. Sougo is going to kill her if we don't give her a break. You said it yourself, she's just a woman; she can't handle something like that." Pulling his hand from his pocket, Hijikata reached into his coat. The man pulled out a cigarette and placed it between his lips, still staring at his friend and boss.  
"She's been chained for over three days now. One she hung all night. The next she was whipped. Today the same but more intense; at least, I think it was. I didn't watch the entire session yesterday. She hasn't been allowed to wash, or given a change of clothes. She hasn't even gotten any water. If it stays this way she's going to die."

Maintaining his serious expression, Hijikata studied Kondo's reaction. The man seems slightly surprised, which made him wonder if he had even been keeping up with what was going on. Kondo slowly nodded, and it was obvious that his sense of compassion had been rebooted. The man had probably been too occupied to even think of their suspect.  
"And she still hasn't spoken?" Kondo asked, and Hijikata shook his head.  
"From what I can see, she's probably gotten worse with her replies. Doesn't even look at people any more. She shook her head twice. That's it."

Finally lighting the cigarette, Hijikata shifted his gaze. Kondo did the same before nodding once more.  
"Maybe she can't... She nodded when I asked if she could speak, but maybe she can't... Toushi, move her to a cell. I'm gonna make some more calls, and try to find out what's wrong with her. When Sougo gets back, I'll tell him were giving it a break... Maybe you should try to communicate with her..." As Kondo spoke, he pushed his chair back, and scratched his head. He stood up, and grabbed the binder her had been sleeping in. Folding it closed, Kondo tucked it under his arm, and started towards the door. As he passed Hijikata, he offered a small, appreciative smile. The man patted his shoulder, and Hijikata watched him.

"I'm gonna stop by the other asylum and try to get some files. Thanks for keeping an eye out for me."  
It seemed more like Kondo was saying "Thanks for opening my eyes, and bringing a possible lawsuit to my attention", or "Yeah I kinda needed to realize Sougo was ruthless again, almost forgot that", but Hijikata simply nodded. The man exited the office behind Kondo, and moved to the kitchen. He grabbed a bottle of water, and skimmed his eyes over everything else before starting towards the torture chamber.

* * *

The woman was still suspended, of course. She was in her usual "staring at the ground" position. When Hijikata entered the room, she glanced up at him yet did not speak. Instead of looking at the ground again, she shifted her gaze to the wall. She seemed more receptive. Possibly because she had figured him out earlier. Maybe he was obvious; not joining in, remaining silent. Giving her a break when possible, whatever... She was pitiable.

Without a word, Hijikata glanced at the woman and walked to the controls of the chains. He notice her anxious glance towards the door as he passed her, and opted to answer her obvious question.

"He's not coming. He's got a job, you know. Better things to do than make your life hell."  
The vice-commander slowly lowered the chains. The woman's feet touched the ground, and he watched as he carefully lowered her to the floor. As expected, she didn't try to stand. She sat on the cold cement below her, and glanced back towards, but not at, Hijikata as her wrists were released. The man pressed the button for her ankles, yet no pop was heard, indicating that it was no good. Sighing, he reached into his pockets and fished out a ring of keys. The woman started to move, and he only spared a quick glance on her as he approached. Ever so slowly, she dragged herself from the platform, yet froze when she noticed Hijikata standing over her. The man fiddled with his keys, narrowing the options down to three.

He knelt beside her ankles, and the woman sat on the ground, curiously watching him. She bent her legs, still resting them on the ground, and her lips slightly parted, yet she did not attempt to speak. Hijikata reached towards her ankles, and barely nudged her; signaling that she reposition herself. She obliged, and slowly leaned to the opposite side; providing a view of the lock. Pushing one key into the lock, the man attempted to twist, yet found it was the wrong one. When he moved to the next, a frantically placed hand on his arm caused him to halt. Glancing at the woman, Hijikata frowned.  
"That hurt? Figures..." Sighing, the vice commander took care to be more gentle. Well, she had a way of communicating without doing so. The cuff snapped open with one turn, and the woman made a slight hissing sound. She leaned forward, and barely placed the tips of her fingers to the dark bruise circling her ankles. As suspected, the metal had dug into her skin, leaving an unsightly gash. Sougo had probably purposely left the cuffs too tight. A second was taken to study the wounds, yet they weren't as bad as Hijikata had anticipated.  
"I'm gonna move you to a cell, and you'll have a few days to rest... Take this." Reaching into his coat, the man produced a bottled water. Staring at the drink, the woman hesitated before accepting it. She raised her head, as if to look at him, yet avoided eye contact.

"You don't need to thank me. You probably haven't had anything since you were brought here."  
Sighing, the vice commander sat beside her as she gripped the top of the bottle. Well, she seemed to listen perfectly fine. A second passed, and she turned her head once more. Gazing at the woman, Hijikata waited for some indication at the issue. She unsurely extended the water towards him, and he nodded. Taking the bottle, the man loosened the cap, and offered it back.

Nodding in what appeared to be thanks, the woman accepted the water once more, and took a small sip of it. Hijikata pulled a cigarette from his coat, and as he lit it, the woman continued to drink. Moments passed, and she finally placed the water on the ground and lightly screwed the cap in place. Wondering if she was finished the man gazed at her. She lightly waved her hand in front of her face, as if commenting on the smoke.

"Oh so you're gonna complain after all the trouble I just went through?" Irritation hung on the man's voice, and she averted her gaze. Brown locks of hair blocked her from his view, but Hijikata saw her shoulders jump. It was a slight motion, but the short exhale that accompanied it portrayed a near laugh. Frowning at the odd display of competence, Hijikata watched as the woman managed to turn. She reached to the side and grabbed the coat he had given her the night before. The woman offered it back, still avoiding eye contact, which irritated Hijikata. Was it that hard?  
"Just look me in the eye already, it's not gonna kill you, you know."  
Uncomfortably shifting her weight, the woman pushed the coat towards him. When he didn't take it, she flicked her eyes past him, before turning her head to the opposite side. Well, that sort of looked like effort. Hijikata grabbed his coat, and laid it back on the ground. He shook his head as if to say "hopeless", but refrained from doing so.

"You probably can't walk." Sighing, the man stubbed his cigarette out. She peered up at him, as he pushed himself to his feet, yet remained in a kneeling position. Without warning, Hijikata slipped his arms under her, and started to raise her from the ground. The woman quickly grabbed her water and his shirt as he did, and he ignored her for the most part.

The entire time that he carried her, she took care to look at everything but him. Stone walls lined the dimly lit hallway that they came upon once Hijikata kicked the door to the chamber closed. He walked to the cells down the hall, as the woman studied the dimly lit dungeon. Moisture hung in the air, heightening the slight chill, which could be felt. It wasn't exactly packed in the cells. There were only a few others awaiting their processing time. Shifting the girl's weight in his arms, he pulled the heavy iron door of a cell open. He walked to the center of it, and carefully placed her on the stone ground. When he did, the woman lightly patted his chest twice, as an indication of thanks.

Stepping back, Hijikata pulled his old cigarette from his pocket and lit it. The girl pulled herself into a sitting position, and placed her hands on her lap. Seconds passed, and Hijikata stepped back and leaned against the bars of the cell. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, only to find that she still wasn't looking at him. Was it _really_ that hard? He had gone so far as to help her, and she still wouldn't even look at or speak to him? Not that she knew that he was the one that spoke to Kondo, but still. The man decided to test her. He wanted to know if had she even tried to speak. It didn't seem like it. Even when she was being tortured, she hadn't made much noise until it got tremendously intense.

Which presented another question. _Could_ she speak? She always nodded when asked, and she had a voice... But this was surpassing simple defiance.  
"Oi, can you tell me your name?"

Hijikata continued to coldly gaze at the girl, and turned his head for a better view. She was staring at her lap, and barely moved to look at him. Turning her head, she slowly nodded. Hijikata wondered if she would actually speak. When the woman raised her head and peered past him, he felt as though she would. Her lips parted just enough to see the white of her teeth, yet she slowly lowered her gaze. The woman placed her hand to her mouth, as if she was biting her fingernails, yet pressed them to the side. She tilted her head, and for once gazed straight at Hijikata.

She was trying. He knew now. That small display proved his theory right. She could speak, and she had a voice. She just couldn't use it. He would think of a way to bypass that, and find out what happened. In addition, Kondo had to be informed.

"I'll be back later." Muttering the words, Hijikata leaned up and moved from the dark cell. He locked the door, and gazed at the woman again. The expression she held was pure defeat. If anything, she looked as though she thought she had angered him. Without moving or glancing at him, she extended the jacket she had pulled from the ground of the torture chamber. Turning to leave, Hijikata stuck his hands in his pockets. He glanced at her once more before shaking his head.

"Keep it."  
The man didn't spare another word before leaving. Of course, the only reason he left his jacket was her lack of clothes. Once she got something else, he would retrieve it. Then again, it would probably be stained.

* * *

**A/N: Yay, 2 updates, one day. Success. Lol. Now, time for awesome shit to start happening. At a very low, law oriented pace. Lol, just kidding (or am I?). Heh heh, as usual, I hope you enjoyed, and thank you all for your reviews! **  
**(I really need to think of new things to say, gosh! Has that gotten old yet? Lol)**


	9. Chapter 9

Once the afternoon arrived, Hijikata moved to the kitchen to see how much food was left over. He glanced over the room; glad that nobody was around to see him. When the man gazed at the stove, he found what he was looking for. Further inspection revealed that some rice remained in the pot. Glancing over his shoulders, Hijikata stealthily moved to one of the cabinets. He silently opened it and pulled out a small bento box.

It wasn't that he was being bad. Really, he wasn't. He didn't want one of the guys to see him doing something like this. Checking his surroundings once more, Hijikata started to carefully scoop the rice into the bento. He managed to do so; unspotted. Next the man moved to the refrigerator. He grabbed a plastic container of mayonnaise and proceeded to cover the rice with it. Safe. Now all he had to do was place the top on, and sneak downstairs to the woman's cell. As he was turning around, the vice commander was startled to find a familiar face behind him.

"Oh, Hijikata-San, are you packing a lunch?" Yamazaki smiled at him, but the man's nervousness spoke before he could choose an answer.  
"No." He abruptly snapped, trying to conceal the bento behind his back. The spy in front of him frowned, and curiously moved to look around him.  
"Then what's-"

Pointing the loaded mayonnaise directly in Yamazaki's face, Hijikata grabbed the man. The spy stared at the red top wide eyed, before flicking his gaze back to Hijikata.  
_"You've seen nothing." _The vice commander stated in an alarmingly low tone. His sinister expression was enough to make Yamazaki gulp, and slowly nod. Jeeze, he was just trying to make conversation. Was it really necessary to threaten him with the mayonnaise?

Eying the spy, Hijikata released him, and turned back to the bento. He glared at Yamazaki over his shoulder as he placed the top back on the box, and shoved it into his pocket. The spy remained in place as Hijikata watched him, and returned the mayonnaise to the door of the refrigerator. Without another word the vice commander grabbed a pair of chopsticks, and left Yamazaki to stare after him.

How degrading. To be caught making bento like some schoolgirl. The idiot downstairs still needed to eat though.

* * *

When Hijikata arrived to the entrance of her cell, the woman was sitting by the bars. Her legs were extended in front of her, and one slightly bent. The woman had a single had on one of the bars beside her, and was dreamily staring into the hall. She glanced up at him, and offered a slight wave as he eyed her. Hijikata noted that she was wearing his coat, probably because of the cold air. Pulling the bento from his pocket, Hijikata knelt beside the bars. The woman pulled her legs under herself, and Hijikata noticed that she moved a bit easier. He didn't know how she did it, especially after the days she had spent in the chamber. The woman watched as he slid the box to her; placing a pair of chopsticks on top. Obvious surprise crossed her as she leaned up, and touched her hand to the other side of the bento. Though he couldn't see her expression, the eagerness of her motions revealed her thoughts.

The woman turned to peer up at him yet kept her eyes on the box. She unexpectedly smiled. It was a soft expression, yet wide enough to catch a glimpse of her teeth. Hijikata studied the woman as she pulled the box into her lap. His expression had become moderately blank, due to the unforeseen reaction she had shown him. The woman's hair hid her from his eyes as she pulled the top of the bento open. Though he didn't see it, all trace of excitement immediately drained from her face. Instead, she stared at the overly generous blob of mayonnaise, wondering if there was anything beneath it. Was this some form of torture as well? They were trying to make her gain weight and have a heart attack now? Feeling a touch of exasperation, she forced another smile, yet this one was uneasy. Hijikata didn't notice the worried raise of her eyebrows. She was smiling- she liked the mayonnaise.

Intensely watching her, the man pushed a cigarette between his lips, and leaned his elbows onto his knees. The woman hesitated, but she always did that; it was normal. She pressed her hands together, in a silent "ittadakimasu (let's eat, or thank you)" and soon lifted a bit of the food to her lips. Taking a bite, the woman shifted her gaze. Too much mayonnaise... She managed to choke it down, though. Hijikata continued to observe her, as if she was in some sort of a petting zoo.

"Is it good?" The man finally asked.  
She turned to face him and placed her free hand to her lips as she smiled, and nodded. Mirroring her motion, Hijikata sat on the ground and shifted his position so he was sitting beside her despite the bars between them. The man leaned against the edge of the stone wall behind him, and sighed. Finally; somebody who appreciated good food. Lighting his cigarette, he glanced down the stone hall as she silently consumed her meal.

"Good. I didn't know if you had eaten." He didn't expect an answer. It was obvious that even if she wanted to talk the mayonnaise was too delicious. He only used the best brand. The woman continued to eat, knowing that this was probably the only meal she would be offered. She tried her hardest to pick around the mayonnaise, and even found rice buried underneath it. Hijikata bent one of his knees, and rested his elbow on it as he took a drag of his cigarette.

"It's only been a few days, but it seems like this case is taking forever. There's gotta be some way for you to communicate. I don't know if you did it, or if you had anything to do with it at all . As far as I'm concerned you could be telling the truth. But there's still over a hundred dead, and no answer as to why. Buildings don't just spontaneously combust, you know?" Sighing, Hijikata stared at the stone ceiling. His voice was low and cold; as if he had completely distanced himself from the situation, or it was a regular, everyday case. He wondered if she was even listening. It made no sense to even talk to her, but then again, she wouldn't interrupt.

"Everybody seems to be under pressure lately. Well, except Sougo. Even Kondo hasn't been his usual happy self. That man's flipped through some book full of pictures a hundred times; I even caught him sleeping in it." Snickering, the vice commander glanced at the woman. She was watching him intently. Definitely listening. The bento was nearly empty, and she placed her chopsticks on the lid; quickly averting her gaze.

"You still won't tell me your name?"  
Skimming her eyes over the stone walls around her, the woman pressed her thumb to her forefinger, and made an odd motion. Frowning, Hijikata watched her; attempting to decipher the charade. She placed her hand on her lap, palm side up, and used her pointer finger to trace lines on it. The woman's eyes remained on her palm, and when she finally did glance towards him she tilted her head as if what she was implying was obvious.

Realization crossed Hijikata.

"A notepad and pen?" The words were met with an eager nod, and the man mirrored the motion. He should have thought of that sooner. _Somebody_ has to have some sort of brain around the Shinsengumi. Curiosity crossed Hijikata as he reached into his coat, and pulled out a small book he used for notes as well as a black pen.

The moment she saw the tools, the woman cautiously reached for them. Her anxiousness was portrayed in her expression as Hijikata handed her the items. The woman wasted no time in finding an empty page and forming her words. When she finished, she handed the book to Hijikata, and he eyed it.  
_"My name is Kikuno Muzai. I'm twenty two, and I can't speak in public."_

Glancing at the girl to his side, Hijikata nodded. "Why is that?"  
Muzai placed a hand over the notepad, and pulled it from his hands before scribbling a response. Despite the hurried motion, her writing was neat, and feminine.  
_"Selective Mutism. I can speak perfectly, but not in uncomfortable places. __Public __places. I have to know somebody __before__ I can talk to them."_

Well, that wasn't somewhat confusing. Offering the book back to her, Hijikata knew this would be his best chance at getting an answer.  
"We'll do the interrogation like this. Write your answers, and hold them up for me to read."

Muzai nodded, and placed the book in her lap.

"Were you associated with the fire? Did you start it, or help in any way?" Watching the woman write, Hijikata felt like he had finally accomplished something. This was ridiculously easy; why hadn't anybody thought of it before? She only wrote for a split second before holding the book up.  
_"No."_  
"Do you know who did?" Apparently, the answers weren't much different now. The woman underlined her answer as she held up the book and shook her head.  
"Why were you covered in blood? Why did you have that knife?" Open-ended questions were the most important. She needed to give details; something more than a yes or no.

_"I took it out of some girl's chest, she had been stabbed and I was scared."_  
Frowning, Hijikata pushed a cigarette to his lips. He stared at the girl, and raised an eyebrow as he brought his trusty mayo lighter to the stick. She hadn't answered the first question.

"The blood?" He repeated, holding the cigarette with his teeth, and her brows raised with worry. Pulling the book back, the girl frowned. It took a second before she started to write; hesitantly.  
_"A man found me, and started running towards me. I couldn't understand him because he was yelling, and I was scared-"_  
Staring at the long line at the end of the girl's words, Hijikata nodded. He sighed, and shifted his gaze. So she killed one man, but what happened to the rest? She had to do better than that.

"And how can I trust you? How do I know you didn't cause all of that, and murder everybody? Aren't you supposed to be crazy?" The man raised an eyebrow, studying the tilt of the woman's head. Muzai sighed loudly, and her lips slightly parted as if she was saying he didn't understand. Brown locks of hair fell to the side as she stared at him, and he held her gaze. Wow, she was looking at him. Eye contact achieved. But after a few intense seconds uneasiness took her. Lowering her eyes to the paper, she scribbled a few more words.

_"Don't you cops do your homework? I checked myself in for counseling; help with my speech, and anxiety." _  
Hijikata reread the words a few times before shaking his head in disbelief. This was ridiculous. How the hell did that happen? If she was telling the truth, their guess was way off.

"You've got to know more about this. Do you know how many bodies were in that place? You expect me to believe you were covered in blood, and walking around a burning asylum, which was _filled_ with corpses, because you were scared, and _one_ man attacked you? Nothing more?"

The woman's brow furrowed, and she shifted her gaze. She continued to frown, staring at the iron bars between them, and obviously deep in thought. Eventually, she ran a hand though her hair, and tilted her head once more. Muzai carefully wrote a few more words and held up her paper, pointing at the sentence with the pen in her hand.

_"If I don't know anything, how could I make myself seem innocent? If I can't speak, how can I defend myself?"_

Considering her words, Hijikata nodded. She was right. If she truly was innocent, there would be no way for her to prove it. In the few days he had seen her, she didn't appear to be insane. But some people are good at hiding that sort of thing. Everybody knows that the moment you take your eyes off of a crazy person, they snap. One second they could be fine; drinking a cup of tea, or taking their dog for the walk; maybe even holding a conversation about politics. The next second, they're eating red dirt and screaming at the top of their lungs as their arm shakes with a violent, isolated seizure. Probably.

Muzai slid the notebook between the bars, and placed it in Hijikata's lap. She had left the page open to their conversation, and as he stared at her hand, she started to write again. Numbers, and dashes. He recognized the sequence. The weight of the woman's hand firmly pressed the book into his thigh, and she circled the numbers._  
"Social security number. Date of birth."_

Glancing at Muzai, Hijikata nodded. She slowly wrote another small line, and tapped the words with the end of her pen.  
_"Who are you?"_  
Muzai dropped the pen and retracted her hand, as Hijikata read the words. A second passed, and the man realized that he hadn't introduced himself at all. He had been more focused on the situation surrounding the woman, and finding information on her; not exchanging pleasantries  
"Hijikata Toushirou." The man glanced at her as he spoke, and Muzai offered a single nod. She sighed as if she had grown bored, but was visibly relieved. For what, Hijikata was unsure, but it was clear in her posture. Muzai shifted her gaze, only to slide closer to the bars. When the man frowned at her, she gestured for him to move closer. He didn't understand. What was she trying to do? His confusion must have been apparent, because she reached through the bars, and gently turned his head with a single finger, while the other pulled him closer by his shoulder.

"I- I can whisper here..."  
Warm breath met the man's ear and he felt his eyes widen. The words were barely audible. Though she was close, he still had to strain to hear her and it sounded as though she was just pushing air through her teeth. The sentence didn't flow as usual; she spoke slowly, and precisely. If anything, each word had been broken down into basic sounds and syllables, which only made sense when put together. Simply saying the word "I" came out as a small airy murmur; more like "Ah-ee". Shifting his gaze, Hijikata waited to hear more. There was no voice in her words, and the man wondered if she even had one to begin with. But that was a silly question, he had heard her before. Somewhat.  
"Thank you for the bento."

Muzai leaned back, yet Hijikata remained in place. He seemed to be lost in thought. Shifting her gaze, the woman placed the top back on the small lunch box, being careful of the mayonnaise. At least she had been able to choke it down... Well, she mostly only ate the rice. A lot of the mayonnaise was left over, but that guy seemed happy when she ate it. When she glanced back up at Hijikata, she found him to be looking right at her. Immediately tense, Muzai picked up the bento, and placed it on the other side of the bars in front of him.

She lowered her head, and cautiously reached for the pen once more. When Hijikata didn't move, she grabbed it and turned the page of the notebook. Ignoring the man that was still watching her, Muzai turned the book and started to write again. It took a while this time, and Hijikata could tell she was dreadfully nervous. It was almost as if all of her muscles had stiffened. Muzai even appeared to be shaking, which cause him to wonder if speaking was truly that difficult. Once finished, she placed the pen in his lap, and gazed at the opposite wall of the cell. Just knowing that she had managed to actually speak made her tense. Had her voice sounded funny? As much as she wanted to talk, the thought of somebody hearing her caused adrenaline to surge through her veins. Her heart pounded within her chest, and the woman grew dizzy.

Hijikata glanced down at the notepad, and read the words.  
_"I can talk at home; to my father and my friend. If you can manage, I need to check on my father some time. I'm his caretaker, but Yuki has been filling in for me while I'm away. Bring me papers with your questions and a video camera; I'll tell you as much as I can, but I don't know what happened. Take me back to the interrogation room so I can speak... But I need to be alone... And promise to take me home. Even if I have to be monitored and come straight back."_

After reading the words, Hijikata returned his gaze to Muzai. The woman was looking away from him, as if she couldn't bear any more. Nodding the man returned his notepad and pen to his coat.  
"I'll see what I can do." Pushing himself to his feet, Hijikata straightened his clothes, and grabbed the bento. The vice commander slipped the box back into his pocket, and started down the hall.

* * *

**A/N: Yay, her name has finally been revealed! Ahh, that took so long! **

**To the Guest reviewer, I laughed when I read "Reverse bed time story", that's a funny thought (In an awesome way), Stories to wake you up! Lol :D**

**Noniebee- Glad I can entertain you and Tara, lol. Often time, Selective Mutism is improperly diagnosed as Autism. You were very close, haha :) Though I will keep the caffeine and sedation in mind, people with SM are usually really bubbly and happy once they open up.**

**Al19- Sorry to make you anxious, haha. I was too, it took too long to reveal her name! Lol**

**As usual, thank you all for your reviews :3**


	10. Chapter 10

"I was able to talk to her. She insisted she didn't know anything. Kikuno-San said she walked into a room, and the people were already dead. She was scared so she grabbed the knife, which was in a girl's chest, and a man attacked, or attempted to attack her."

Hijikata stood in front of Kondo's desk as he spoke. The vice commanded maintained his usual stern expression, and placed his notepad on the table. Yamazaki was standing at Kondo's side and the two stared at the vice commander, obviously surprised.

"She told you all of that?" Kondo asked and Hijikata offered a single nod as he pulled a cigarette from his pocket. Laughing, Kondo smacked a single hand on his desk; obviously enthralled.

"That's great Toushi! You even got her name! We can look her up now!" Excitement coursed through Kondo, and he opened one of the drawers to his desk. Yamazaki met Hijikata's eyes and offered a warm smile.  
"Good job, Hijikata-San!" The man started towards and passed Hijikata, leaving Kondo and the vice commander alone. The commander pulled a small laptop from the drawer and placed it on his desk. Hijikata watched as he opened the computer. The men remained silent, with nothing but small clicks to fill the conversational void. Sighing, Hijikata decided to continue telling Kondo what he learned.

"Kikuno-San can't speak, Kondo. She said that she can at home, but when she's in public she can't. She also said she checked herself into the asylum for some form of counseling. She agreed to tell us anything she can if she can go to her home and visit her father. Apparently, she's his caretaker."

Kondo glanced up at Hijikata, and frowned. Eventually a wide smile curled his lips, and he nodded.  
"Way to go, Toushi! You got everything from her! But if she can't talk, how is she going to-"  
"A video camera. She wants a camera and to be moved to the interrogation room. Plus, she said we could escort and monitor when she returns to her house." Hijikata informed. He tore the sheets of paper Muzai had written on out of the book to slide them beside Kondo's computer. As Kondo studied the sheets, Hijikata walked around the desk. Kondo seemed cheerful once more. Maybe it was relief; knowing that they had achieved something. The man murmured something similar to "that's great", and started typing Muzai's information into the crime database screen. In a matter of seconds, the page changed to their search results. One match.

Kondo clicked on it, and Hijikata remained behind him; ready to read. When the information came up, the woman's driver license picture popped onto the screen. Kondo scrolled down the page, and his expression grew blank. Noticing the man's sudden pause, Hijikata leaned closer to the screen. As he read the woman's file, he understood Kondo's reaction.

"Toushi... She's never been in trouble..." Kondo stated in a tiny voice. He was thinking the same thing as Hijikata.  
"I'm reading the same thing as you, I can see that!" Hijikata snapped back. Swiveling around in his chair, Kondo gazed up at Hijikata. Obvious tears had formed in his eyes, and he tightened his fists.

"She's only had a parking ticket! She's never done anything bad! And we've been treating her like a murderer!" Kondo wailed, and Hijikata nodded. He pulled his cigarette from his mouth, and calmly peered at the commander.  
"I never agreed with that though. I was never okay with that!" Hijikata informed, and the tears Kondo had been brewing started to freely flow down his face.  
"She couldn't have done something like that! She's never even had an overdue library book!" Kondo added, and Hijikata frowned down at the man.  
"Look, let's just check her medical files; if she's lied, we have a reason to be suspicious." Reaching around the commander, Hijikata took control of the computer. He clicked the tab with Muzai's medical history, and found that Kondo would only be more upset in a matter of seconds.

"Adult Selective Mutism? What is that? She really can't talk? She really can't-"  
Cutting the man off, Hijikata hushed the commander. It couldn't be as bad as it seemed. Kondo wasn't one for rash decisions; he was the perfect leader. But the more Hijikata read, the more he knew that the one bad decision Kondo had made was quickly growing worse. It was just stress and exhaustion, but try telling that to a judge. Hijikata clicked the woman's insurance charges; to verify her claim. The page loaded, and he found her most recent doctor visit. Sure enough, it showed her interactions with the asylum. Self admitted for group therapy.  
"Shit. She really did check herself in..." Hijikata murmured, and Kondo started to sob harder.

"T- Toushi... What are we going to do?!"  
Backing away, Hijikata frowned down at Kondo's face. The man really was ugly when he cried... Raising an eyebrow, the vice commander took a drag of his cigarette. He slowly shrugged, and averted his gaze. Kondo shook his head, and grabbed his coat. The man pulled Hijikata forward, and wailed something that was impossible to understand. Staring down at the gorill- Uh, commander, Hijikata couldn't keep his brow from furrowing even further.

"We- We tortured her!"  
Shaking his head, Hijikata brushed Kondo's hands away from his coat. Bodily fluids were starting to seep from the commander's nose. Hijikata didn't want that on his uniform.  
"I didn't have anything to do with that! Sougo did it! He talked you into it!" He declared. Starting away, Hijikata found himself restrained by a hand, which had mysteriously gripped his coat.

"No- We can't get sued! We need to arrest her! She killed a guy right? We can-"  
"Oi! How's that gonna help?! Didn't you just feel bad about her being innocent?!" Pulling away from Kondo, Hijikata shook his head. He had seen enough of this. He did his job; he helped Muzai come across as an unlikely suspect. How Kondo chose to solve the problem had nothing to do with him. Until the commander's ideas got even more irrational.

"We have to make it up to her. Toushi! You have to give yourself to her!" Kondo yelled the words in Hijikata's face, and the flow of his tears increased. Hijikata's jaw dropped and he stared at the commander in disbelief. Kondo straightened his back, and turned to his desk. In a matter of seconds, he produced a can of whipped cream.

"Toushi, you have to be strong. Today, you become a man."  
Wide eyed, Hijikata shook his head.  
"What!? Man?! Are you trying to say I've never- Wait- Why me?! What are you trying to make me do?! Why was that in your desk?! Have you seen her? She's in no-" Kondo shushed the man, and stood as though he was a drill sergeant. He held the red can of whipped cream in one hand, and stared at the vice commander. It was obvious that he wanted to cry again, but the man choked the tears back.

"Wear this, and go into her cell. I hate to say this, but she won't forgive us until she has her way with you." Pouting, Kondo offered the can to the vice commander.

Hijikata's jaw dropped, and he clenched his teeth.  
"That's not how this works! She doesn't want to do something-"  
"You're right... It's not enough..." Shaking his head, Kondo exhaled and allowed his posture to fall. Not even a minute later he found a solution. Hijikata had just started to think that he had succeeded in talking some sense into Kondo, but he was wrong. In a matter of seconds, the commander started to laugh. He gripped his clothes, and turned around as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world.

Hijikata stared in horror as Kondo pulled his coat, then his vest off. Stepping backwards, Hijikata held an arm in front of himself, as if it could shield him from the sight of Kondo's naked form. The commander hopped on the ground as he pulled his pants and boxers away; still laughing. He said something about Hijikata being right, and the can of whipped cream could be heard.

"She wants two." Finally turning back to Hijikata, Kondo displayed his full nakedness; his glory concealed by a mountain of whip cream and a cherry.  
Frowning, Hijikata stepped backwards once more.  
"W- Where did you get a cherry? That's a cherry, right? **Right?!" **The vice commander started to make for the door, but was commanded to stay. Freezing in place, Hijikata frowned. Kondo walked to his side, and placed a hand on his shoulder.  
"We both have to be strong, Toushi, and suffer silently. It's for the good of the Shinsengumi." The commander stated, and Hijikata glanced back at him wide eyed. Frowning, the man smacked the side of Kondo's head. The commander barely stepped to the side, but it seemed to be enough to knock some sense into him.  
"Toushi! You're abusing me too now?! First a woman, now me?!"  
A loud sigh parted Hijikata's lips, and he took care to focus his eyes on anything but the odd, cherry-like object in Kondo's whipped cream pile. Why the hell did Kondo have whipped cream in his office anyway?

"_I didn't_-! That's not the good of the Shinsengumi! That sounds more like some sick twisted fantasy you have! If you want her to forgive _you_, _you_ should just talk to her! We haven't even heard what happened yet! We've barely even found her name, and you expect me to waltz into the jail with whipped cream on my sword?! No!" After his rant, Hijikata abruptly turned away and left the room. He took care to close the door behind him; to give Kondo privacy. That had to be one of the most ridiculous things he had ever heard. Dignity was a hard thing to feel after such an odd... Scene? Hijikata had expected something crazy but not that bad. He heard Kondo calling him, and listened, yet did not return.

"A bath! Give that poor damaged woman a bath! And find her something to wear! Toushi! The whipped cream is _everywhere_! It's all over the place! Bring me a towel! I- I just don't know what to do with all of this! Toushiii!"

Grumbling under his breath, Hijikata left to find a towel.

* * *

**A/N: Haha, a light-hearted chapter to break the seriousness of the story so far :D**

**Noniebee- That's awesome, that your cousin is still bubbly, and manages to be normal despite his speech. :) I've found that every autistic person I've met has been really cool and nice. :3 **

**Reader-Chan- Haha, that really is the best name! Muzai does have a specific reason for the way she is, SM is not common in adults, and usually occurs in children between 3 and 6. Normally, it doesn't get randomly triggered, but it has happened before. Few teenagers have it, and the oldest person I've re about to have it was 34. Even pain doesn't get them to speak. Some have broken bones, and not cried a single tear or called for help. O.o Crazy. And Muzai's name means Innocence :)**

**AL19- Haha, Yeah, I tend to steer clear of cliche names, unless it's for a side character. I made her name with the help of a suggestion from Noniebee :) her last name means chrysanthemum field. (I got creative and found a list of pre- and suffixes to make a name). Yeah, I was sort of surprised to find that SM is improperly diagnosed most times. It's shy tendencies that make Autism and SM so easy to confuse. Haha, I have a hard time with eye contact an talking to people too.**


	11. Chapter 11

Vice commander Hijikata; the lover of mayonnaise, and all things that consist of nothing but cholesterol and oil. Also known as the Demon vice commander. Apparently, his new names were Schoolgirl Hijikata, and Babysitter Hijikata; codename Clean Up Kondo's Shit.

After taking the commander a towel, the man found himself returning to the jail; sans whipped cream. He tugged the heavy iron door open, and descended the stairs. Damp air met him, along with a slight chill. His footsteps echoed down the stone corridor, and low murmurs could be heard. Of course, it was the prisoners; wondering if they had managed to get themselves into more trouble. The man walked to Muzai's cell, and found her sleeping in the same place she had been before. Apparently, she didn't like to hide in the shadows of her cell like most people.

Sighing, Hijikata dug his keys from his pocket. The rattle seemed to awaken the woman, and she slowly pushed herself from where she had been leaning on the bars. As the vice commander placed and turned the key the, barred door popped open. Muzai peered towards him, yet did not move as he slid the bars aside. When the man squatted beside her, she shifted her gaze, and leaned away as if he was about to brutally snatch her by her hair and drag her down the hall. Well, that's what it seemed like to him, at least.

"Oi, don't do that. People will think that I hit you or something." The man raised an eyebrow as he spoke, and Muzai placed a hand to her mouth. Though she did not face him, a nervous breathy chuckle escaped her. A second was spent to study the barely clothed brunette, before Hijikata sighed in annoyance.  
"I assume you're still too weak to walk? We ran your information; you're pretty much clear. Of course, you'll still be a suspect, but after your tape, you can probably go home."

Ever so slowly, Muzai turned towards the man. She gazed in his direction, yet kept her eyes low. Hijikata weaved an arm under Muzai's legs. The woman leaned away once more, and her discomfort was apparent, but he wanted to get this over quickly. His left arm moved under the small of her back, and he easily lifted the woman. She remained silent, and one of her legs raised a bit as he positioned her. She crossed her arms, and took care to gaze away from him; as if she couldn't stand the fact that he was touching her. Yeah, well, he wasn't too happy about it either. Why couldn't Yamazaki do it? He was one of those "good guy" types. Bubbly, and nice; Muzai would probably speak to him. A person like Yamazaki couldn't be scary to anybody, really.

As he started up the stairs, Hijikata glanced down at the woman. What was he supposed to do? She could bathe herself right? He wouldn't have to do anything weird, right? Once he reached the top of the steps, Hijikata kicked the iron door closed with his foot. The action resulted in a loud slam, which caused Muzai to jump in surprise. Ignoring the reaction, Hijikata continued towards the bathroom. Muzai's arms had uncrossed, and she clutched his coat as she stared over his shoulder. It only took a few seconds for the woman to tug at his clothes, and Hijikata glanced down at her. She didn't look at him, and her lips slightly parted, only to quickly close. When he shifted his gaze to the wooden hallway, Muzai tugged him again.

Rolling his eyes, the vice commander loudly sighed. He gazed down at the girl, only to find a piercing pair of hazel green eyes locked to his. Halting, Hijikata stared down at Muzai. She didn't look away. The slight crease of her brow presented a question, which he immediately understood. Still, the man was almost startled by the fact that she was looking at him so intensely. Muzai finally averted her eyes, figuring that the man's stern expression portrayed his lack of comprehension. Hijikata started to walk again, and the woman released his coat. A small sigh escaped Muzai as the vice commander stopped in front of a door. She had tried to communicate (holding eye contact was difficult on its own), but it still wasn't enough. Figures.

Hijikata shifted her weight, and placed a hand on the door.  
"The bathroom, for a shower; that's where." The man casually stated, and Muzai's brow furrowed. She curiously turned to peer up at him again, yet this time Hijikata avoided her gaze. Instead, he walked her through a small toilet room and to the middle of the shower room. Without a word, the man set her down on a stool. Muzai gazed at the ground, and held on to his coat to ensure she didn't fall. When she released him, Hijikata grabbed the shower head, and lowered it.  
"Wait here." The man instructed, and Muzai nodded. She didn't look at him as he spoke or walked away, and he was thankful. Her eyes made him uneasy. He didn't feel threatened, of course, but it seemed more natural for her to avoid looking at him.

When the man returned, he had a fresh bar of soap, and two towels; one large, and the other a washcloth. He handed the items to Muzai, ommitingthe towel, and she accepted after a short moment of hesitation. Hijikata turned the shower on, thoroughly bored with this scenario. What a wonderful way to spend his day off.

Turning to the woman, Hijikata shifted his gaze.  
"The towel is gong to be in the other room... Okay, you uh... You don't..."  
Muzai raised her head, and slightly gazed towards him; probably staring at his pants. Clearing his throat, Hijikata swept his eyes from one side of the room to another.  
"Help or anything, right? You're fine like this, right?"

Though he was unable to see the woman's awkward frown, her body language spoke loudly enough. When he remained in place, she raised her eyes to him as if commanding him to leave. Raising an eyebrow, Muzai watched as Hijikata awkwardly nodded. The man promptly left the room, and as soon as she was positive that she was alone Muzai started her shower. It was a relief to be able to strip her clothes, as everyday she had started to feel worse. The warm water relaxed the woman and extra time was spent to simply bask in it. When there was a slight tap at the door the woman paused, and waited to see what would happen. The door cracked, and an annoyed voice met her.

"Oi, there's a pair of clothes out here. And here's a spare-"  
Through the fog of the room, Hijikata caught sight of a flying bar of soap; and it was headed straight towards him. Closing the door, the man waited for a thump before continuing. Sure enough, it didn't even take a second for the soap to collide with the door. Cracking the door once more, the vice commander felt irritation rise within him.  
"Watch where you throw that thing! I just brought you a damn toothbrush!" Instead of waiting for another random flying object, Hijikata tossed the toothbrush into the abyss of steam, as well a small tube of toothpaste. She would find it.

* * *

When Muzai finished washing, she moved from the small stool she had been seated on to the wall. Though the woman partially crawled, once she reached the wall, she leaned against it to lift herself and stop the water. Sighing the woman hung the showerhead, and glanced over the steam. Her ankles ached, but the pin and needle feeling that had taken her feet had disappeared. Though she was slightly dizzy, she knew walking was her only option. The shower had done her some good, and she carefully walked back to the stool to collect her things. The woman had to sit as she grabbed the toiletries, and wrapped the toothbrush and paste in the washcloth.

She used the stool to push herself up once more, and moved across the slightly warm tile. When Muzai reached the door, she caught sight of the bar of soap, and placed a hand to the wall as she picked it up. Small aches lingered in her limbs, but she did her best to ignore them. As she moved to the second room, she was met with rich wooden paneling. Muzai caught sight of her towel, and placed everything on a small wooden counter as she unfolded the cloth. The woman glanced over the room, only finding a small mirror, a few cabinets, and a separated stall, which was probably a toilet. A light blue yukata had been laid on the counter as well, and Muzai wrapped the towel around her hair before deciding to change.

As she slipped the yukata on, she realized that the men of the Shinsengumi hadn't brought any under clothes. Figures; they probably had no idea what a woman would need. Rolling her eyes, she fastened the yukata and uncovered her hair. No comb was present, so she raked her fingers through her brown tresses. Remembering her old clothes, Muzai walked back into the shower to locate them. When she did, she leaned onto the wall to return to the other room. Steam had started to pour from the shower, and filled both rooms with warm damp air. Muzai threw her clothes in the garbage the first chance she had. It wasn't like she would wear them again.

The woman kept her hand on the countertop as she walked to the door. She pulled it open, only to find a very familiar face passing. Sougo turned to peer at her as she shifted her gaze. The sadist studied her for a moment before offering an invisible smile.  
"Oh, it's you, and you have clothes." Silently chuckling, Sougo stared at the woman as she turned her head. Muzai still refused to look at him, but he didn't exactly care.  
"So you managed to talk, ne? Well, it was fun." Still snickering, the man turned and continued down the hall. It was time for his lunch break.

Peering after him, Muzai leaned onto the doorframe. She glanced both ways, as if she was crossing a street. Nobody seemed to be passing. She didn't know what to do with her towel, or where to go. Sighing, Muzai turned back to the room. She left the door open, and started to fold her towel. The woman fidgeted with her washcloth, and soap, wondering what to do. After a few seconds, she saw a small hamper under the counter, and tossed both towels into it. Staring at her soap and toothbrush, Muzai frowned. As the woman glanced up and into the mirror, a voice startled her.

"There you are!"  
Jumping in surprise, Muzai looked towards the doorway. The Commander, Kondo, was standing in the doorway. A look of pure worry had taken his features, and the man quickly started towards her. Alarmed, Muzai took a step back, but the man threw his arms around her. She Froze in place, and stared over the man's shoulder; wide eyed.  
"Are you okay? We're so sorry! We didn't know! You poor thing, what have they done to you?!"  
Utterly confused, Muzai remained still as Kondo eagerly rocked her back and forth. They? Like he had nothing to do with what happened? Okay, so he was sorry, but this was unnecessary. Her toes dragged along the floor as the man asked her more questions, and said something about how lawsuits were tedious. It was a painful hug; he was crushing her. Every lingering whip mark grew sorer with each careless rock of the hug. Just as she thought all hope was dead, a familiar voice caused the commander to halt.

"Oi! Kondo! What are you doing to her?!"

Kondo released Muzai, and she landed on her feet, yet placed a hand on the counter to steady herself. Kondo turned around as Hijikata passed the doorway and entered the room.  
"Doing? Toushi, you make me sound like some sort of creep!"  
"Yeah, well, you made yourself look like one earlier... Anyway you probably would of killed her if you hadn't stopped..." The raven haired man fixed his gaze on Muzai as he spoke. She was staring at the things she had used to wash, obviously unsure of what to do.

Kondo sighed, and shook his head as he walked to the door.  
"Kikuno-San, are you ready to make the tape?"  
Nodding at the commanders words, Muzai slowly started after him. Before the woman could exit the room, Hijikata shook his head.  
"Give her a few minutes." The man stated, an Kondo slowly nodded.  
Hijikata closed the door behind Kondo, and started to Muzai's side. She kept her eyes on the wooden floor beneath her, and leaned onto the counter. The pair remained silent as Hijikata closed the door to the shower, and started to go through one of the cabinets. He produced a small roll of medical wrap, and turned to face her. Without a word, the man grabbed her by her waist and lifted her onto the counter. Muzai shifted her gaze; frowning.

"What are you doing?"  
Pausing, Hijikata gazed at the source of the whispered words. She was a bit louder than before; he hadn't needed to strain to hear her. Calmly staring at her, Hijikata grabbed her arm. He pushed her sleeve back, and gazed at the dark bruise around her wrist.  
"Wrapping you up." He stated, and Muzai uncomfortably shifted her gaze. She remained still as Hijikata wrapped both of her wrists, and examined her skin to see if anything else needed attention. Satisfied, he moved to her ankles. The woman continued to uncomfortably fidget, as he wrapped one, and started to examine the skin around it. When he started to move the fabric of the yukata to examine her calve, she smacked his hand.

Recoiling, Hijikata glared up at her.  
"Knock it off; I'm not doing anything weird." That little smack was sharp enough to move his hand. She had obviously been offering some sort of warning, but it wasn't necessary. He wasn't interested in her in the least. If anything, he would be happy when she left. Muzai met his eyes, and blankly stared down at the man. His irritation was clear. Hijikata's expression bordered that of a scowl, especially when met by her keen gaze. Rolling his eyes, the vice commander moved to the girl's opposite ankle. He covered the dark bruise with medical wrap, and sighed as he stood up. Muzai was still watching him. She remained on the counter as Hijikata returned the gauze to the cabinet. The man tucked his hands into his pockets, and watched as she started to move.

Muzai scooted to the edge of the counter, and tapped between his shoulder and chest twice in thanks. She then grabbed the fabric of his coat as she lowered herself to the ground. The wrap around her was a bit too tight for comfort. Avoiding the man's gaze, she leaned to one side and tugged at the gauze around her ankles.

Coldly peering down at her, Hijikata sighed in annoyance. What the hell did he look like, a wall? She was just going to use him for balance now? As she finished, he crossed his arms.  
"You ready to make the tape now?"  
Muzai nodded, and he remained still. A second passed, and the man noted that she wasn't looking at him again. Her hand slipped from his shoulder, and the woman motioned to the items she had used for her bath.  
"Don't worry about it, someone else will take care of it. Come on." Passing the woman, Hijikata opened the door. She trailed behind him as he started down the hallway and to the interrogation room.

* * *

**A/N: Glad everybody enjoyed the last chapter :) **  
**Comical relief was necessary, ad oh so fun to write, haha. Kondo can be such an awesome character.**  
**I hope this chapter wasn't too boring, just had to get through the process of some odd interactions and show that she actually got to wash (finally), lol**

**Thank you all for your comments :)**


	12. Chapter 12

A camera had been setup on the wooden table of the interrogation room. Muzai sat in the same seat she had the first time she had entered the room. Hijikata stood in the doorway, watching as Muzai fidgeted around in her chair. A second of silence passed, and the man did nothing but watch her. Wondering if he expected her to speak in front of him, Muzai turned to peer at the man.

"You nervous?" His icy gaze betrayed the seemingly kind observation, and Muzai slowly nodded. Hijikata reached into his coat, and nonchalantly pulled a cigarette from the small pocket. He raised a lighter to the stick, and met the woman's gaze. A slight frown had creased her brow, revealing her disdain towards the smell.

"What do you normally do to calm yourself down?"  
Tilting her head, Muzai contemplated the question. Her eyes lowered, and she placed a hand on the wooden desk. Eventually, she peered up at him, and motioned for him to come to her side. As he obliged, the door creaked shut behind him. Once the man was close enough, Muzai tugged him lower by his coat. Though he supposed it was necessary, Hijikata couldn't help but feel irritated. Talking was not something that should be considered difficult.

The woman leaned towards his ear, and Hijikata stared at the plain white wall behind her.  
"I've had medication for anxiety before... It didn't help much... Drinking does, but I don't like to..."  
"Well, we don't have any alcohol around here." Snickering, Hijikata leaned up. For some reason, he had barely murmured the words. Her quiet nature was contagious. Muzai stared up at him, and started to giggle as if he had said something funny. Frowning, Hijikata took a drag of his cigarette. The woman placed a hand over her mouth, and the vice commander studied her.  
"What?"  
The silent snickering did not stop, and Muzai covered her grin as she stared up at the man. Though he was watching her through narrowed eyes, that didn't seem to stop her. She pulled him back down, and a glimpse of her voice was provided with a brief chuckle.  
"You're funny... I wasn't expecting you to get me drunk, or whisper." The woman patted his shoulder before murmuring another short line. Much to his surprise a touch of her voice hung in the words, and she spoke normally; not in her previous breathy tone.

"I doubt either of us want to share a drink. Not exactly the time for that." Snickering, Muzai released him once more. Hijikata cracked a smirk, and chuckled as well. Straightening himself, the man reached into his coat. He pulled out his notepad, and flipped it to the page he had written some questions on. The vice commander placed the book on the desk in front of Muzai and she eyed the words. Next, he offered his cigarette. The woman frowned at the smoke, clearly not understanding.

"It relaxes me." The man stated, and Muzai continued to study the cigarette. It was only half of one. It couldn't exactly hurt. A second of hesitation passed before the woman accepted the smoke. Hijikata pushed his hands into his pocket, and watched as Muzai curiously lifted the cancer stick to her lips.

"Uh, don't inhale yet. Just pull the smoke into your mouth, and wait for a second before you inhale it; otherwise, you'll cough."  
Gazing up at the man, Muzai nodded. She did as instructed and stared at the cigarette as she took the smoke into her mouth. It tasted exactly as it smelled. Scrunching her nose, Muzai gazed up at Hijikata. He was calmly watching her, possibly ready to laugh at her if she coughed. Seconds passed and the woman finally inhaled. Her lungs didn't burn as badly as expected, but she still shifted her gaze, and maintained her disgusted expression. She finally exhaled, and peered at the vice commander as he studied her reaction.

Frowning, Muzai repeated the motion. If he said it made him calm, it would probably help. In all actuality, she couldn't believe that she had actually agreed to smoking. It always disgusted her, but then again, Hijikata was the only person to be somewhat kind to her after she was brought to the Shinsengumi. Even if he looked like an asshole. And sort of had of a temper (which was obvious due to his canstant irritated expression). As she offered the cigarette back, a thought crossed Muzai.

He had been smoking the cigarette. She had just put something that had just touched his lips to hers. Oh god, it was like some sort of indirect kiss. Hijikata reached to take the cigarette, but she quickly snatched it away, and turned her head. If he got it back, it would be like him indirectly completing the indirect kiss. Horrible. That was just awful, and now he was frowning down at her as if she had lost her mind.  
"What?" The man asked, and she quickly shook her head.

Avoiding his gaze, Muzai took another drag of the cigarette. She stared at the camera in front of her, and completely ignored Hijikata. A second passed, and he reached into his coat. The man produced another, and studied the woman's odd change. Well, she was always tense, that seemed to be normal. Other than that, she was hiding behind her hair and holding the cigarette like a pro.

"You like it?" Muzai nodded, and the vice commander lit his new cigarette with his mayo lighter.  
"I figured you would; it goes well with mayonnaise. Press the red button on the camera to start." Leaving it at that, the man turned and left the room. When the door closed behind him, Muzai sighed in relief. That was close. But what was she supposed to do now? If she smoked, it would be like repetitively indirectly kissing him. Oh god, that was horrible, and making her even more nervous. Glancing over the room, she searched for an ashtray. Nothing.

The only thing she saw was an old cup of water. That would work. She extended her hand towards the water, and held the cigarette over it. Well, Hijikata claimed it relaxed him. And she had already smoked it. One more pull wouldn't hurt. Shifting her gaze, the woman brought the cigarette back to her lips. She took one drag before hurriedly dropping the smoke into the cup. It sizzled out, and Muzai frowned to herself. She nervously slid her pointer finger back and forth along the smooth wooden table; not enough to move her hand. Reading the questions Hijikata had left for her, she tried to recall the day of the fire in full detail.

_Tell us about yourself.  
Did anything usual happen the day of the fire?  
Do you know how it could have started?  
Do you know who did it?  
How did the patients get free?  
What were you doing at the time of the incident?  
Did you hear anything?  
Did anybody talk about it, or express disdain towards the facility?  
What was the asylum like?_

Wow, they weren't holding back. Sighing, Muzai reached for the camera. For some reason, she felt slightly dizzy. It wasn't the normal lightheadedness that stemmed from anxiety. She assumed it was the cigarette, yet paid it no mind. Pressing the red button on the camera, Muzai watched as the lens opened. It beeped twice, and she shifted her gaze. This wasn't the first time she had been recorded. She didn't know how to start. What was she supposed to say first? Taking a deep breath, Muzai placed her elbow on the desk. She leaned onto it, and rested her forehead in her palm.

The woman avoided looking at the camera as she spoke. It would only make her more nervous.

"My-" Pausing, Muzai flicked her eyes to the camera. Damn it, she had just told herself not to do that. And her voice was unbearably low. A sigh escaped the woman, and she lowered her gaze one more.  
"I'm Kikuno Muzai. Uh, there's not much to tell about myself. I live alone, well, my father lives with me. He's uh, bedridden, so I care for him. I'm a web designer; I work from home. It's more convenient, because I can keep to my father's schedule. He sleeps most of the day, and doesn't really move."

Pausing, Muzai stared at the table. She drummed her fingers along the top of her head and read the questions once more.  
"I have no idea who started the fire, or why. I don't know how the doors opened, or how the fire started. I don't think anybody said anything about it; normally I just listened to people, so I probably would have heard something... Oh,"  
Gazing at the camera Muzai shook her head.

"Earlier in the day, somebody did yell something about destroying the place. They didn't say burn though. When I was waiting for my counselor, a man walked by the door. It was still open, and he was dressed really fancy. Business suit, that sort of thing. He had to be a visitor, but visitors weren't normally allowed on the third floor. He went to talk to somebody and started yelling... He said 'It's a disgrace to have a son in here. What's wrong with you? Are you trying to embarrass our family?'. It got really loud, and the nurses kicked him out. I think they called him Yoshi-San."

Taking a second to pause, Muzai internally praised herself. This was the most she had said in over a week. Normally, when somebody asked her a question, she froze up. It was like her lips were glued shut. Her heart would pound, and every muscle in her body would lock. The answer was always on the tip of her tongue; and she wanted to scream it, but that wouldn't be very acceptable.

Glancing at the camera again, Muzai read another question.  
"When everything happened, it was late; I was in bed. Honestly, I was already asleep, but the lock on my door popped open. It woke me up, and I didn't know what to think. The lights in the hallway were off, and that was unusual; they normally stayed on all night. I thought it was a trap, or a mistake, so I stayed in bed. There had been whispers about some of the staff being crooked. Like during physicals, they would say pictures were needed to send back to a lab or something, but that's just what I heard. It never happened to me, probably because I could leave if I wanted. Still, I was nervous. One of the creepy doctors was on shift, and I hoped that he wouldn't come into my room... I can't scream or call for help, so..."

Muzai leaned up, and focused on the white walls of the room. This was a lot of talking. She didn't know how she felt about it. If only it was in front of people; then she could be proud. The men were going to watch the tape later though. It was sort of like talking in front of them; they would hear her voice. Hopefully, she didn't sound too weird.

"I tried to go back to sleep, because I figured it was just a mistake. I was thinking a fuse blew or something, and it would be fixed in a little while; no need in making a big fuss or complaining. Not that I really could have, but I really didn't want to roam the halls in the dark... Some of the people there were strange. But then, there was screaming. It scared me, and I-" A dry snort of amusement escaped the woman, and she lowered her head.

"I hid under my covers..."  
Shaking her head, Muzai gazed at the camera, and worry creased her brow. A red light repetitively blinked, reassuring her that she was being recorded.  
"I didn't know what else to do. There was nothing to protect myself with, and if something horrible was happening, well... I didn't even have a bra. They said the underwire was dangerous."  
Sighing, Muzai shifted her weight in the seat.  
"There was a lot of screaming, and I didn't move for what felt like forever. I just hoped that nobody came in my room. But then I smelled smoke. When everything was quiet, I decided to look for a nurse. I left my room, and everything was on fire. Of course, I panicked, and ran to the main door. I thought that maybe they had evacuated everybody, and forgotten me. When I got to the door, I saw a foot slip through it and it closed. I didn't know how to open it and looked for somebody else, but... Everybody was already... In one of the rooms, there were a bunch of bodies and a knife. Since I didn't know if it was still dangerous I took it. I searched for other people, and a man found me, but he started running at me. He was yelling, and waving his arms around, so I just... I didn't really have a choice... I walked around, and broke a window for fresh air, and then you found me..."

That was everything. She didn't know any more. A second passed, and Muzai reached for the camera.

* * *

The tape clicked off. Kondo turned to peer at the woman beside him wide eyed.  
"Your father is bedridden and you take care of him?"  
Muzai gazed in his direction, and Hijikata and Sougo leaned forward to look at him as well. Was that all he had gotten from the entire tape? The woman nodded, and Kondo pouted at her. That was so sad. He didn't know how he could help. But then it crossed him.  
"That's- That's so sweet! You poor thing! I wish I had a daughter that was that sweet! I- I'll be your new father!" Without hesitation, the man threw his arms around Muzai and started rocking her back and forth in his 'fatherly embrace'. A short cry of surprise escaped the woman, and she held her hands out as if touching him would kill her. Hijikata and Sougo stared at the commander, both donning rather a confused expression. An immediate frown creased Hijikata's brow, and he narrowed his eyes.

"Oi! Kondo! You're gonna kill her! She can't breathe!"

"From now on, just call me Oto-san!" The man commanded, like the fine commander he was.

"Kondo, you're not old enough to be her father!" Hijikata reminded, but the man ignored him. He continued to rock Muzai back and forth, completely forgetting all of the information they had just gained. Shaking his head, Hijikata sighed. Sougo continued to stare at the pair with no expression whatsoever.

This was ridiculous.  
"You can stay here! You sleep in my room, or Toushi's room! Or we can put you in Sougo's room, _but you probably wouldn't want that,_ how about Yamazaki's? His yukata fits you! You could wear his clothes!" Kondo continued, and Hijikata shook his head.

"Oi! She's not a pet! She has to take care of her father! She has to go home!" The vice commander stated, and Kondo immediately halted. He slowly nodded, and it became apparent that tears had welled in his eyes. When the commander released the woman, he held her shoulders, and flashed her a serious expression.

"When ever you need some fatherly advice or help picking a boyfriend, you just come to me, okay? I have a bowl of candy in my office and everything."

Staring at the man, Muzai found that she didn't feel uncomfortable. For once, eye contact wasn't killing her. Though her lips had been sealed, she felt her jaw unhinge, and before she knew it, she found herself laughing. The men all stared at her as she turned away from Kondo, and placed a hand on her stomach. Muzai shook her head, and covered her mouth as if Kondo was the funniest person in the world, and he felt himself grin.

Hijikata felt his frown fade, and wondered how long she would laugh. Apparently, she had a good sense of humor. Kondo joined the woman, and Sougo stared at Hijikata as if he expected him to laugh next. Rolling his eyes, Hijikata shot the captain a serious look, as if to say "no chance in hell". Muzai's voice died down, and she shook her head. The woman patted both Hijikata and Kondo's knees before standing up. She glanced back at the men before walking to the doorway, and leaning against it.

"Tired?" Kondo asked, and she nodded.  
"Toushi-"  
"Damn it, why do I have to do everything when it comes to her?!" Snapping the words, Hijikata scowled.

"That's not true, Hijikata-San, I had to torture her." Sougo chimed in, and Muzai started to snicker. Yeah, because that was really hard on him.  
"Fine, she can rest with me tonight, I'll-"  
Cutting Kondo off, Hijikata shook his head.  
"No, no, I'll do it." The vice commander volunteered, suddenly experiencing a change of heart. Because Kondo had been odd lately. He might try his whipped cream idea, and that would terrify Muzai even more. Standing up, Hijikata walked to the door. Once again, he was forced to do everything.

* * *

A/N: Interrogation time! Woooo!  
Haha, poor Hiji, sometimes he's the only mature one.  
Hope everybody enjoyed the new chapter! Thank you for your reviews :)


	13. Chapter 13

After watching the tape, the men of the Shinsengumi dubbed Muzai as safe. Not exactly a suspect; more of a witness than anything. Hijikata led the woman to his room, and brought a futon for her to sleep on. It was only for one night, then she would be returned to her home. As the vice commander started to set up the temporary bed, Muzai quickly fell to her knees beside him, and brushed his hands aside. Frowning, Hijikata peered at the woman. He expected some sort of explanation, yet she started to pull at a small fabric tie around the mattress. It seemed as if she was completely ignoring him now.

An annoyed sigh parted the man's lips, and he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He was squatting beside the futon; it didn't make sense to sit if he would stand up to lay it out. The vice commander reached for the opposite tie, only to find the woman pushing his hands aside again.  
"What? What is it?"  
Muzai paused, yet after a slight moment of hesitation, she continued to move the mattress herself. She started to stand up, but Hijikata wasn't going to let her get away with acting as though he hadn't spoken. She had a voice, and she needed to use it. If anything, not being able to talk was one of the dumbest conditions he had ever heard of. The man grabbed her sleeve, and pulled her back down.

She sat between her legs, and gazed at the tatami floor beside her as if it was the most interesting thing she had seen in years.  
"Well?" The man urged, growing slightly impatient. Muzai shifted her gaze, and uneasily drummed her fingertips along her lap. The vice commander stared at her, and a nearly silent breath escaped the woman as she shifted her gaze. Without warning, she reached towards him, and opened his coat. Scooting back, Hijikata held his hands out as if he was being assaulted in some odd fashion. The vice commander didn't know how to react as Muzai moved forward to maintain the contact, and started to go through his pocket.

"O- Oi! Cut it out!" Backing away once more, Hijikata fell from the balls of his feet and to the floor behind him. Muzai glanced at him, only to flash the man a slight frown as she reasserted herself, and gripped his coat once more. She pulled the fabric open, and Hijikata stared at the woman wide eyed as she tugged at his clothes. What the hell was she doing? This would be a horrible position to be caught in! If Sougo came in, he would have a field day. If Yamazaki came in- well, never mind, that wouldn't really matter. Hijikata could just cut him; problem solved. But Kondo... If Kondo walked into the room to find his new "daughter" practically crawling over him on the floor he would definitely think that Hijikata was being a pervert.

Sexual assault! She was being indecent! Quickly grabbing the woman's shoulders, Hijikata rolled over as some sort of twisted defense mechanism. He found himself over her now. Muzai was frowning up at him with one of the most awkward expressions he had ever seen. Oh god, he just made it look like he was the guilty party, not her. Damn instincts- This was not working!  
"Uh..." Trying to find something to say, Hijikata stared down at Muzai; positive that his expression was no better than hers.

In her hands, she held his notepad and pen. Of course that's what she was doing! What was he thinking? She couldn't talk, so she needed paper! Insert awkward laugh here. Yeah. He had really managed to make something completely innocent into... A staring competition? Muzai was fidgeting with the notebook over her chest, and Hijikata racked his mind for a way to pull his reaction off.

"And- That's what you do when a guy tries to touch you! We're very against that sort of thing here!"  
Muzai turned her head and gazed at the man sideways as he spoke. Her lips slightly parted as if she was asking why he would say that. Truth is; he had no idea. Smooth. Really smooth. That didn't help the situation at all. But what was he supposed to do now? Most likely, thinking of new things to say was a horrible idea. Muzai sank into the floor; obviously uncomfortable. Yeah that made sense, he was practically sitting on her. He should probably do something about that.

Quickly moving to the side, Hijikata sat by the futon, and made sure to occupy his hands with untying the fabric. Muzai sat up, and stared at the man for a moment before flipping the notepad open and scribbling a few words. The woman moved back to his side, and watched as he hurriedly worked to set the futon up. He pushed one end of the mattress open, and she brushed him aside once more. Irritated (and still embarrassed) Hijikata scowled at the woman.  
"What the hell? Why do you keep-"  
Before he could complete his sentence, she pushed the notepad in his face.  
_"You seemed annoyed earlier. I don't want to be a burden."_

Staring at the words, Hijikata felt his expression slip. Maybe he had been a bit impatient... Muzai pulled the book back, and started to write again. Studying the woman, Hijikata waited for her to finish. When she did, she offered the book back once more.  
_"You're right, you have done a lot. More than the others, so it's not fair. I'll do this; I know how to set up a futon."_

Shifting his gaze, Hijikata considered the words. It wasn't that he was annoyed, per say. She was just ridiculously quiet, and everybody was stupid. Not a good combination. Hijikata shook his head, and waved the notebook away with a single hand. Standing up, the man laid the futon out properly. Muzai watched as he placed a pillow on the mattress, and moved to a small stack of covers.

"You know, either you're really fucking crazy, or you're ridiculously strong. I know you're still sore, there's no point in you over exerting yourself." A second was spent staring at the man as he spread one of the sheets over the mattress. Muzai wrote her response, and held the paper up.  
_"Well, I'm not crazy."_

Snickering, Hijikata shook his head.  
"Every crazy person says that."  
Raising an eyebrow, Muzai stared at the notebook as Hijikata replaced the pillow. He had almost forgotten that it needed to go over the sheet, not under. Apparently, the awkward moment had not been completely overcome.

A slight snicker caught his attention, and he gazed at Muzai over his shoulder.  
_"Are you an asshole?"_  
The vice commander's expression hardened, and he shot her an irritated glare  
"Well I brought you food, didn't I? Of course I'm not." Pulling the comforter from the floor, Hijikata spread it over the futon as Muzai wrote a response. She started to snicker again, and when he peered at her, he found that she was staring directly at them.  
_"Every asshole says that."_

Though he was ready to yell at her, Muzai started to giggle. She was teasing him. Sighing, the man shook his head. He moved back to her side, and sat down as he pulled a cigarette from his pocket.  
"Shut up." Casually murmuring the word, Hijikata pushed the smoke between his lips. As he brought his mayo lighter to the end of the stick, Muzai scribbled another response. The woman raised to her knees, and walked onto her futon before sinking to her elbows and laying down on her stomach. Muzai peered up at the vice commander, smirking as she presented the lines she had written.  
_"I didn't say a word. Aren't you going to try to defend yourself "Mr. Demon Vice Commander"? Or do you admit to your assholery?"_

Rolling his eyes, Hijikata took a long drag of his cigarette. "Are you going to admit to your insanity?" Smoke exited his lungs as he spoke, and the man raised an eyebrow at Muzai. She snickered, and as she started to write again, she bent her knees. Hijikata watched as the woman crossed her wrapped ankles. The blue yukata she wore pooled around the bends of her knees, and the man averted his gaze. He had already made this conversation awkward. No need to get caught staring at weird things and make it worse.

A slight tap on his knee caught the man's attention, and he realized that Muzai had been holding up her response. The woman held the pen over his knee as if she would need to tap him again, but once she saw that he was looking at her, she placed the notepad on the ground. As Hijikata picked it up to read her words, Muzai sank into the futon; clearly finished talking.

_"Sure, but you first."_

Raising an eyebrow, Hijikata stared at the woman. Playful and shy; those two things seemed like opposites. Of course, there were ways for those traits to seamlessly join, but Muzai was odd. Whether she was shy despite her playfulness, or playful despite her shyness was beyond him, but then again he wasn't exactly sure if she was shy. It didn't seem like she was when interacting with her. Though she avoided eye contact for the most part, her words were far from formal. If anything, it was possible for her to be a bit too familiar. Maybe she was forcing it; to try to talk.

The woman lifted her head and locked her eyes to his. It was a signal to stop staring, and he knew it. Taking a pull of his cigarette, Hijikata tried to play it off. The man placed his notebook on his knee, and grabbed his cell phone from the floor. As naturally as possible, he started pressing random buttons; to make it seem as though he had been occupied all along. Muzai flashed him an obvious unconvinced look, and snickered at his weak attempt. Completely ignoring her, Hijikata intently stared at his cell phone. After a slight pause, the woman turned over and lifted herself. She crawled to him, and sat down before grabbing the pen. Muzai placed a hand on the notepad, and started to carefully write on the bend of his knee. As she wrote, she spoke in her usual whisper, and Hijikata paused his act with the phone to hear her.

"Are you gonna watch me sleep?" Amusement played on her features, and she tapped the notepad before backing away. Glancing down at it, Hijikata maintained a blank expression.  
_"I'm sure I'll be safe enough; I'm surrounded by cops, you know."_

Frowning at Muzai, the vice commander tried to think of a response. Something witty, or snarky. When she started to snicker, and moved back to the futon, he simply shook his head and offered a slight chuckle. It didn't sound as awkward as he felt, and for that, he was thankful. Maybe it was just the fact that some woman was sleeping in his room. He didn't trust her to be around his mayonnaise, or... Yeah. It was about the mayonnaise.

Grabbing the notepad and pen, Hijikata pushed himself to his feet. He had things to do. Like work, and take notes from her tape. He also needed to look into the name "Yoshi", and find any possible suspects.

* * *

**A/N: Hope everybody enjoyed the chapter :)**


	14. Chapter 14

Over twelve hours had passed, and every time Hijikata returned to his room, he found Muzai to be sleeping. With nothing else to do, the man decided to go to sleep, and give her a ride home in the morning. Once the man finished eating dinner and returned to his room, he saw that nothing had changed. His room was silent and the woman was peacefully resting. The vice commander lit a cigarette as he set up his futon and contemplated the events of the day. In the tape Muzai had made, she mentioned a man by the name of Yoshi. He needed to find that man. On top of that, the Shinsengumi was in the middle of identifying as many people as they could. Remains were their only clues, of course. Everything from teeth to bones, DNA; it was all being gathered.

Hijikata ran the process through his mind as he spread sheets over his futon. A bit of movement caught his attention, and the raven haired man glanced at Muzai as he paused to take a drag of his cigarette. She wasn't awake. Instead, the woman was just moving in a small attempt at stretching. She was still laying on her stomach, with her hand on the pillow; as if she hadn't moved all day. It didn't seem like she had; she had been too lazy to crawl under the covers. All Muzai had done was lay down. Hijikata had wondered if he should do something, like pull the covers over her, but then again, he didn't care. Maybe she didn't want the covers, or maybe she was hot. Either way, it was none of his business.

The vice commander walked to his closet to get a change of clothes. He wouldn't sleep in his uniform. Though it seemed annoying, he would have to leave the room to change. Just because Kondo was an idiot, and wanted his new "daughter" to stay. As Hijikata pulled a pair of comfortable pants from his mass of uniforms and the few pairs of regular clothes he had. The woman behind him moved again, and he wondered if she was waking up. If so, he would probably end up giving her a ride to, well, wherever the hell she lived. Glancing over his shoulder, the vice commander found that Muzai was moving in ways that he didn't like. Not exactly, at least.

She had turned onto her back, and from the looks of things, Yamazaki's yukata was coming loose. Wide eyed, Hijikata watched as the woman bent her leg, and the blue yukata threatened to prove useless. The V of her neck had been elongated, as if it had been pulled during one of her motions, and the vice commander wondered what he should do. One thing he definitely couldn't do was just stand there and watch like some sort of pervert. When Muzai started to move again, he saw disaster brewing. The robe was slowly yet surely sliding down her chest. What the hell was wrong with that woman? How was it even possible to be such a messy sleeper? A warm season was not enough of an excuse for something like whatever she was doing to be okay. The cigarette in the vice commander's mouth slumped as the corners of his lips fell. He had to be strong. Kondo was counting on him to watch the woman, but Hijikata was sure that this wasn't what the commander meant.

Quickly hopping to the woman's side, Hijikata started pulling her yukata shut, and straightening her clothes. Muzai didn't even stir, and he was thankful. This wouldn't exactly look right; especially when paired with his burning face. When the man was satisfied with her decency, he released a sigh of relief. That was close. Too close. He had tightened the yukata neckline as high as it would go, and pulled the fabric around her legs closed. She was one hundred percent decent now. Hijikata could rest easy; knowing that nothing weird was happening in his room. As the man pulled his cigarette from his lips, a line of ashes fell from the end. He hadn't noticed the most of the smoke had burned down, but that wasn't his main concern. The ashes fell on Muzai's chest. Shit. He couldn't just wipe them away!

Internally panicking, Hijikata tried to think of a solution. If he left them, she would know that he had done something while she was sleeping. The ashes would smudge on her robe, and there would be proof that he had been near her. Hijikata had to dispose of the evidence. Intensely staring at the line of broken ashes, the vice commander tried to devise a plan. If he tried to wipe them, the ashes would break and leave a white mark in their wake. And her chest was there. He couldn't possibly put his hand there. Tightening his jaw, Hijikata kept his eyes on the ashes. It was like looking at her chest, but he wasn't being like that. Really; he wasn't a pervert.

A course of action presented itself to the man, and he eyed Muzai's chest. Him against the ashes from hell. The cigarette in his hand had gone out. He had waited too long; staring instead of smoking. From where he was squatting beside the sleeping woman, Hijikata started to blow towards her chest. A few of the smaller ashes flew away, but the main portion remained. The man started to blow harder, but Muzai turned her head. Immediately stopping, Hijikata fixed his alarmed gaze on her. She would wake up if he wasn't careful. He had to be quiet and discreet. Inching closer, the vice commander cautiously directed a weak, silent stream of breath towards the ashes. Nothing. They didn't even move. Damn it, he had to get closer!

A second was spent studying the woman, and when she didn't move, Hijikata scowled. Those ashes were going down. Literally. He was going to blow them away, and everything would be fine. The vice commander leaned towards Muzai once more, and glared at his opponent. He was inches away; the ashes didn't stand a chance. The man aimed a low, steady stream of air towards the ashes, and they threatened to roll to the side, yet didn't even turn over. Growing anxious and aggravated, Hijikata could take no more. He loudly blew the ashes away, and for a second he thought victory was his. He thought that nothing would happen, and that he would get away without being noticed. When he saw the ashes slip away, his head had automatically voiced the word "Safe!", as if he had just completed a home run.

But the man was wrong. So horribly wrong. He had completely overlooked the fact that he was indeed blowing on Muzai's chest, and the room was sweltering. Apparently, his breath had the effect of a cool evening breeze, or something among those lines, because the sleeping idiot beside him seemed to want more. Not in a dirty sense, it seemed completely innocent, but the outcome remained the same no matter how he looked at it. Muzai moved, and slipped her fingers under the neckline of her yukata before tugging the robe open once more. It was an unexpected reaction, and Hijikata stared (wide eyed), as the fabric slid open just a few inches away from him. She was not fully exposed, but just a few more slacked inches would have killed him.

How did this even happen? All Hijikata wanted to do was change. Maybe take a shower before he went to sleep, and have a good dream. He was positive that he had done nothing to deserve this. Now he was inches away from a nearly bare chest; watching it rise and fall with each of Muzai's captivating breaths. He didn't even know the woman, and here he was, ogling her as she slept. But he wasn't being perverted. He wasn't doing anything bad! This was all her fault; for being a horrible sleeper!

The vice commander's face grew long, and he felt as though he had been incinerated. She had to be doing this on purpose. This was a prank, she had teamed up with Sougo; to make his life miserable. Glancing up at the woman, Hijikata found her to be peacefully sleeping. Muzai's lips were slightly parted, and barely moved as if she had just silently spoken in her sleep. She was blissfully unaware of his torment. A sudden head rush met the vice commander, and he pinched his nose. Turning away, Hijikata tried to sway the approaching nosebleed. It had already arrived. He had to stop himself. Uh, Kondo with whipped cream over his crotch and a mysterious cherry. Dead bodies, fat people falling over, slow motion crying face. It wasn't working; nothing was working!

Hijikata quickly pushed himself to his feet, and took care to grab his change of clothes. Apparently, his footsteps were a bit too loud, because Muzai started to stir. The woman let out a loud sigh, and started to turn onto her side. Freezing, Hijikata glanced at her over his shoulder. Had he been caught? Muzai sat up, and her eyes remained closed as she brought her fists to them. The woman rubbed away her sleep; providing the perfect opportunity for Hijikata to regain his composure, and widen the distance between them. By the time she finished wiping her eyes, Hijikata was on the other side of the room.

He had planned to calm himself down, but it was a difficult task to accomplish when Muzai's yukata had slipped down her shoulders. She wasn't fully exposed, but that wasn't the point. All Hijikata saw was top-boob. He stared at the woman; trying to maintain a cool demeanour, yet positivethat he was failing.

"Good morning..."

A lazy gaze and expression met the commander, and he tore his eyes from Muzai's chest to respond. She had actually spoken. But this wasn't the time to focus on something like that. Or... Was it?  
"G- Good morning yourself..." The man muttered. As Muzai covered her mouth and yawned, Hijikata averted his gaze. Hadn't he ogled her enough for one day? More like a life time. This was so obviously wrong. Clearly, his reaction made him seem like a starved teenager, or something among those lines. Muzai started to stretch, but the vice commander had seen enough.

"Be a little more aware of yourself!"

Frowning, Muzai fixed her gaze on Hijikata. Though she hadn't noticed it before, the man had flushed a deep shade of scarlet. It took a moment for her to realize what he was talking about Hijikata was glaring at her, yet not exactly at her. Glancing down, Muzai was met with her own chest; peeking out from under the yukata she had been given. As she placed a hand to her collar to readjust her clothes, the woman brought her opposite hand to her lips. She started to giggle, as if nothing was wrong with what she had done, and Hijikata scowled.

"Pervert. If it was so bad, why were you staring?"  
The moment Hijikata heard the words, and saw the stupidly lighthearted expression Muzai had donned, he was immediately defensive.

"Pervert? You're the one that was tearing your clothes off! If anything you're the pervert!" A small frown creased Muzai's brow as he spoke, yet before they could continue his door opened. Kondo and Yamazaki stood in the entrance, both donning equally alarmed expressions.  
"Toushi, are you okay?" Kondo was the first to speak, and Hijikata muttered the word "yeah" before glancing at Yamazaki. The spy was staring at Muzai as she adjusted her clothes, and it didn't take long for the commander to catch on either. When Kondo's eyes focused on Muzai, the man glared at Hijikata.

"Toushi! What were you doing to her?! What were you doing in here with my little girl?!" The commander demanded the information, and Hijikata shook his head. Before he could find an answer, Kondo continued.  
"I trusted you to take care of her! Not teach her dirty things!"  
The words almost appalled Hijikata, possibly because he had been trying his best to not even look at Muzai, but she had been demanding his attention. In her sleep. It wasn't his fault. Loudly sighing, Hijikata tried to think of the best thing to say, but Kondo seemed to have been kicked into overdrive. He quickly turned to Muzai, and increased Hijikata's discomfort. Yamazaki was still staring at Muzai as well, only taking a few seconds to flick his eyes between the commander and Hijikata.

"Did the bad man touch you?! You can tell me! I'm a cop!"

Frowning, Muzai tilted her head. It was unknown, whether she would respond or not, but Hijikata would.  
"Damn it Kondo, so am I!" The vice commander took a step backwards as if it would prove his innocence, but Yamazaki was the first to respond. Apparently, the spy had not been undated on Muzai's new title. He hadn't received the memo. Not that there was an actual written memo, but Hijikata expected such ridiculous news to travel quickly.

"Little girl?" He asked, but Kondo didn't take the time to explain himself. He quickly grabbed Hijikata, pushed him into Yamazaki and shoved the pair out of the room before closing the door.

* * *

**A/N: Haha, tension is the best. So, I didn't expect to write another chapter like this so soon, but this is what my brain insisted on and it existed in there. Now, it's on the internet. Yep.**  
**Hope everybody enjoyed this chapter,and that the wait wasn't too long :)**


	15. Chapter 15

Once Hijikata had completed his shower, realization crossed him. He dried off, and pulled his pajama pants on; contemplating his previous interaction with Muzai. The woman had spoken to him with ease after she had awoken. He had thought about it at the time but had been too flustered to focus on anything but clearing his name. It was more important for her to know that he hadn't been doing anything funny. Not that her speech wasn't important, but he preferred her not to think of him as a pervert. Especially if she was going to remain in his room for the rest of the night.

The vice commander wanted her out of his room, of course. There was nothing comfortable about a woman staying in the Shinsengumi headquarters, his room was no exception. While she was there, he would try to be as accommodating and patient as possible; seeing as to how she had noticed his irritation. The man exited the bathroom, only to be met with more wooden floors, and less privacy. Men were wandering the halls; possibly in search of a late night snack. While Hijikata felt compelled to tell them that sneaking food was frowned upon, he was more interested in attempting a conversation with Muzai.

On the way back to his room, he wondered if she had gotten used to him, or if it meant anything at all. Maybe he was reading too far into things and she was really just trying to talk to anybody. Whatever the case, he was positive that it wasn't as big of a deal as he had made it out to be. A cheerful ringtone interrupted the man's thoughts, and Hijikata's attention snapped to locating his phone. It was in the distance, and the man realized that it was in his room. Quickening his pace, the vice commander hurried to his door. He really needed to do a better job of keeping track of his phone.

When the man entered his room, he found it to be empty. He snapped his phone open, already positive about the nature of the call. The moment the man greeted his caller they went straight to business.

"Vice commander Hijikata-San, right?"  
The rugged tone earned a nod, and Hijikata vocally confirmed the man's inquiry.  
"Great... This is Mori, head of investigations. I tried calling the commander, but he didn't answer his phone. Would you mind relaying some information for me?"

Of course, Hijikata agreed. He was curious as to what the men had found so far; obviously, if they were calling at such a late hour, it was important.

"We've collected all of the remains we could find... The lab has gotten some back up and they're processing everything as we speak. So far, with the help of a few doctors and the other asylum, we've identified about a quarter of the patients. In about a week, I should be able to tell you the rest. And we think it was a grease fire. You should check out the tapes in the morning; I've already spoken to the 'HM' staff." A low sigh sounded, and it carried a familiar sense of exhaustion. Hijikata considered the man's words, and turned to face his door.

"Alright. Thanks for your work, Mori-San." The vice commander was met with a brief "yep", and the phone clicked; signaling the end of the call. As Hijikata closed his cell phone, he glanced over his room. That was ridiculously fast for results. Only five days had passed, and they had already identified some people. Placing his phone back on a small set of drawers Hijikata decided to find Kondo before he headed to bed.

* * *

The first place Hijikata checked was Kondo's room. It was empty. Moving to the halls, the vice commander took care to inspect the kitchen, Kondo's office, and any other place he could think of. The older man was nowhere to be found. Slight irritation sparked within Hijikata as he exited the building; opting to search the training yard. As the man walked the wooden deck, he took care to examine every possible place he could think of. Though it was mostly dark, the moon was full and provided a source of dim light. Faint echoes of laughter caught the vice commander's attention, and he followed the sound down the hall.

The familiar voice belonged to Kondo, and the closer Hijikata got, the more prominent his confused frown grew. Pale, flickering light was emitted from one of the doors down the hall, and Hijikata listened to the ongoing conversation.

"Really? Hmm... Well, what about Toushi? Have you fallen for him yet? He's more popular among the ladies, but he doesn't seem to know it."  
A light snicker sounded, and the confusion drained from Hijikata's features. Kondo was being weird again. That man was too damn bubbly for his own good sometimes. Pausing, the vice commander waited to hear more; as if he could actually hear both sides of the conversation.

"Oh no, he's just like that sometimes... He's not a mean guy; he's just a little too serious."  
Tightening his jaw, Hijikata glared at the door beside him. He did not appreciate the fact that they were talking about him. Especially when Kondo added a reassuring "really" to his previous claim.

"Oi, if she doesn't like him, that's fine. Stop hogging it all, move over."

Frowning once more, Hijikata tried to make sense of the words. He understood the first half, but not the hogging part. Secondly, that was Sougo's voice. Kondo seemed to laugh at the words, and Hijikata didn't know what to think. He wondered what he had done to make Muzai dislike him. As far as he was concerned, he had helped the woman.

"That's not what she said! She said she doesn't date! Look at the words, did you read the part about that guy? It's so sad..." Kondo murmured the last part, and Sougo snickered.

"Get off my half, Zai-Chan, scoot over-"  
"No! Sougo, she'll push me out if she moves!"  
Whatever the men were talking about was giving Hijikata the wrong mental image. He stood beside the door, utterly perplexed. What could they be doing?

_"Fine, Zai-Chan, come over here, we can share this-"  
_"NO! Get off my daughter! Sougo! What are you doing to her?!"  
_"Eh? You don't want her to-"_  
"NO!"

The rustle of fabric could be heard, as if it was being snatched away, and tugged back. A few thuds only managed to further Hijikata's curiosity, and the man decided to enter the room. Something indecent was happening, and it was up to him to stop it. A high-pitched squeak sounded, and it was immediately followed by a scraping noise.

_"You still won't speak? Zai-Chan, I won't stop until you do..."  
_"Stop Sougo! She doesn't like that!"  
_"Really? Look at her, she loves it."_

Appalled, Hijikata burst through the door. The moment he snatched it back, the three forms in the room froze. They all peered at him; surprised. The vice commander was equally startled. Nothing dirty was happening. Three spoons were sticking out of a container of chocolate ice cream beside the small group. The TV was going in the background, yet the volume had been muted. A large futon had been spread over the floor, and Kondo, Muzai, and Sougo appeared to have been laying on it.

Sougo was kneeling over Muzai with his hands on her waist in an oddly tickle-like manner. Kondo was pulling the woman away by one arm, and she had obviously been trying to claw away as well. Standing in the doorway, Hijikata frowned. This was nothing like what he had been expecting. The vice commander studied at the odd scene, and cleared his throat to push past his surprise.

"What are you doing? You know the TV is off limits after bed time." Leaning onto the doorframe, Hijikata crossed his arms. Sougo continued to blankly stare at him as Muzai slowly turned over. The woman had been laying on her stomach, yet pushed herself to a sitting position between Kondo and Sougo. Kondo released the woman's arm as she moved, and slowly nodded.

"She doesn't have to follow those rules; she's not a member, Toushi!"  
Hijikata shook his head at the commander's statement.  
"But you are. Both of you! And you're not even watching the TV, you're just skipping out on curfew to bother her before she leaves!"

Both men glanced at Muzai and she stared towards Hijikata. The woman didn't bother to look at him, yet uncomfortably shifted her weight.  
"About that, we've decided that Muzai is gonna stay here, Toushi." Kondo grinned at the vice commander, seeming to be oblivious to the confusion, which crossed him. Muzai lightly smacked the man's shoulder and Kondo chuckled in response. Shaking his head, Hijikata stared at the small group.

"She can't stay, she has to take care of her father."  
Muzai tugged Kondo's sleeve, and motioned towards the vice commander; nodding.  
"How could you say that Toushi?! I'm her father! Really!" As Kondo spoke, Muzai started to quietly snicker, and patted the man's shoulder. To Hijikata's surprise, She leaned up, an whispered something in the commander's ear. Kondo immediately laughed, and voiced his agreement. Sougo seemed to have caught the motion as well, and tugged the girl's blue yukata. She turned to face him, still standing on her knees.

"Mm. Zai-Chan, how did you stay with such an annoying man? He probably got his dirty cigarette stench all over you. You can move to my room." Sougo casually stated, and the woman stared at the ground, obviously alarmed. She started to turn back towards Kondo, but it seemed that Sougo decided to completely disregard Hijikata's presence. He grabbed the woman's waist and pulled her towards himself before resuming his full-blown tickle attack. Kondo turned to peer at them as Muzai fell over and tried to scramble away. A large grin had curled her lips, and though she was completely silent, her delight was apparent.

"Sougo! She doesn't like that!"  
Ignoring Kondo, the captain continued; pulling Muzai back whenever she managed to crawl away. The woman kicked her legs, and flailed about; trying to escape, but there was no hope. Kondo grabbed one of her ankles and tried to pull her away, still telling Sougo that Muzai hated being tickled. In the doorway, Hijikata frowned at the odd scene. He didn't quite know what to make of this. It was obvious that Sougo was only tickling her because she hated it, but Muzai was being friendly with him. If that wasn't enough, Kondo was... Well, Kondo was being himself.

"She was on my side; she should have stayed in the middle." Sougo stated, matter-of-factly, and Muzai shook her head from where she was laying. The woman managed to scramble to her knees, but Sougo pulled her back. Kondo snatched her to the side, yet Sougo didn't let that stop him.

Shaking his head, Hijikata walked into the room. He made his way to the TV, and pulled the plug out of the wall. Darkness washed over the room, and for a second all fell silent. Only a second, though. The moon provided enough light for Sougo to find his target, and soon he continued to torture Muzai. Opting to ignore the idiots, Hijikata walked to Kondo's side.

"Mori-San called, he said you didn't answer your phone. They collected any remains they found and have identified a quarter of the patients. Plus, we need to go check the tapes at the other 'HM'." It was a convenient abbreviation for Happy Meadows. Kondo briefly stated his agreement; still wrapped up in whatever was happening.  
"That's great, thanks Toushi!"

Annoyed by the lack of concentration, Hijikata decided to bring Sougo's torture to a halt. The vice commander knelt down beside Muzai, and grabbed the woman's arm. She was still thrashing about and silently containing her laughs, but that didn't seem to stop Sougo. Kondo bickered in the background about inappropriate things in the dark, and Muzai managed to push herself to her knees despite the relentless pulling of her limbs. Before Hijikata knew what was happening, he was being tackled. The man crashed backwards and onto the hardwood as his attacker pinned him down. Silence fell over the room, and Hijikata stared up at the form over him.

It was a snickering woman, and she paused to study his reaction in the moonlight. Hijikata was positive that her gaze drifted to his chest, yet her hair had cast a slight shadow over her features; making it impossible to be sure. She woman leaned towards him, and he felt nervousness creep over him, only to realize that she was going to speak. When the woman was beside his ear, he strained to hear her. The other men were silently watching the odd scene; Kondo in horror, and Sougo deviously smirking.

_"Sorry... Did I hurt you?"_

The whispered words only proved to further Hijikata's flustered state. Thinking (and moving) quickly, the man leaned up.

"Uh, no." Muzai was forced up as well, and Hijikata brushed her aside as he peered at Sougo and Kondo through the darkness. Light ended at their knees, and each man was seated on the futon on the ground watching them.

"It's- It's late. You should both be in bed. You'll be tired if you don't sleep." For some reason, Hijikata was sure that Kondo's eyes were glowing red. It must have been is imagination though... The vice commander stood up, and brushed his pajama pants off before returning his gaze to the three on the floor.  
"You can all hang out some more later, but don't let it get in the way of your work..." Hijikata started to walk away, but a tug at his pants prevented him from taking another step. He glanced down to find Muzai staring towards him, and realized her intended message. When he offered the woman his hand she accepted, and he helped her to her feet. Once she was up, Hijikata wasted no time in exiting the room. Muzai turned to Kondo and Sougo. They were starting to stand as well, and Kondo had collected their shared ice cream.

"He's right. We should get to bed. Muzai, come say bye to me before you leave in the morning. Oh, and you can come visit whenever you want; maybe to bring me a fatherly sweater, or get some advice." Kondo chuckled as he spoke, and Muzai nodded. Through the woman's blank gaze a small smile cracked her features.

Sougo stepped from the darkness, and offered her an equally invisible smile.  
"Zai-Chan, it was fun." The man patted her head, and Muzai snickered before turning away. She started through the open door, and down the wooden deck. Muzai hoped that she could catch up with Hijikata. She wasn't exactly sure how to get back to his room, but the man's footsteps weren't far.

* * *

**A/N: Yay! An update! This took a while, but I've already started on the next. Hopefully, that won't be to far away :)**  
**Thank you all for your reviews and patience, hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	16. Chapter 16

After her rest in the middle of the day, Muzai found that her balance had improved, but the lingering pain in her ankles restricted her movement. The woman was attempting to catch up with Hijikata, in the hopes of being shown to his room again. Kondo had led her to the TV room, and she still hadn't memorized which doors to go through or how to get to them.

While she would have preferred to be angry with Sougo, Muzai found it hard to do so. The man had entered the room as she and Kondo were watching TV. He had brought ice cream and spoons, stating that it was part of a healthy diet, and taken a spot beside her. Though he seemed cruel, Sougo had engaged in curious, playful banter. He had stated that what he had done was just a part of his job, that he had only been concerned with whether she was guilty or not. While she didn't exactly buy the whole "I didn't enjoy a second of it" act, Muzai could see that he wasn't a bad person. Just sadistic. As long as she didn't enter the torture chamber again, she wouldn't have to worry about his odd methods of obtaining information.

Hijikata's footsteps were closer, and as Muzai rounded the corner, she caught sight of the man. He was entering the building, yet glanced in her direction as he slid the door open. Her hurry must have been apparent, as the man waited for her to catch up to him. When the woman reached his side, he motioned for her to move through the door first, and she obliged. Soon they were walking to his room in complete silence.

Once inside the plain room, Muzai turned to Hijikata. The man didn't seem to notice her gaze as he flicked the light off and walked past her. Hijikata laid down in his futon; not paying the woman any mind at all. Muzai slowly approach his bedside, and sat down. Though there wasn't much sound, Hijikata glanced at her over his shoulder. When Muzai remained silent, he turned over to face her.

"What is it?"

Shifting her gaze, she lightly tapped his chest. Though no words were involved, her implication was obvious. Hijikata sat up, and leaned towards her; offering his ear. Muzai completed the gesture and whispered to him as usual.

_"We keep ending up in weird situations, huh? Sorry..." _A warm snicker met the man's skin, and he slightly pulled away.  
"You can't talk to me now? You spoke earlier." A slight pause interrupted their conversation, and the man didn't see the frown which creased Muzai's brow. She hesitated before responding. As she took a moment to contemplate his words, she realized that she had spoken, and wondered if her voice had sounded funny. Nervousness crept over the woman, and she placed a hand on Hijikata's shoulder. Almost immediately, Muzai remembered that there was no shirt for her to grasp and pull him back by. She retracted her hand and leaned to his ear.

_"I was still half-asleep..." _  
The words earned a nod from Hijikata, and he turned over once more.  
"Get to bed." The abrupt end of their interaction was unnerving, and Muzai wondered if she had annoyed the man again. She didn't know if she was allowed to say anything else, or if she was supposed to do as instructed. Seconds passed, and the woman uncomfortably remained in place. If she spoke, he could get angry. If she didn't speak, well, that would be normal, but she might forget what she wanted to say.

After much contemplation, Muzai decided to finish her end of the conversation. She moved towards the man, and positioned her mouth beside his ear once more. When Hijikata noticed the woman hovering over him his eyes opened. He froze in place wondering what she might do. Of course, he wasn't thinking anything weird, but it seemed impossible to get used to a person constantly whispering in your ear. A second of obvious hesitation passed, and her breath danced over his skin as she finally started to murmur.

_"You guys have been nice; after the whole... Well, you know... It's hard to find somebody that will talk to me... Especially when I don't... Thanks for helping me... Twice." _The woman's voice barely teased the edges of her words, and she leaned away. The pressure of her presence retracted as Muzai moved to her futon, and laid down. Hijikata remained in place and considered her words.

"Most people are probably intimidated by you. That's why."  
Muzai didn't offer an answer. She kept her back to Hijikata, and the man slowly turned over to peer at her through the darkness. He lifted himself to his elbow, remembering a question that had popped into his mind while he was taking notes from her tape.  
"Oi, can I ask you something..?"  
Though he was unsure whether it was the right thing to ask, the vice commander decided that it wouldn't hurt to try. Muzai seemed to be light-hearted, and generally cheerful; she probably wouldn't mind. The woman turned over and sat up as well. Light from the small window of his room revealed that she was peering at him. She nodded, and Hijikata continued.

"You've been like this for a while now, right?"  
A nod confirmed his guess, and Hijikata mirrored Muzai's motion.  
"So why did you check yourself in? Weren't you used to it?"

Muzai locked her eyes to his and a tense moment passed. She didn't move, or attempt to answer. When the man realized that she was too far to hear, he leaned up. Muzai watched as Hijikata scooted to her side; still expecting an answer. He received none.

"Have you always been like this? Unable to talk?" They sat side-by-side; Hijikata with his legs apart, elbows leaned onto his knees. Muzai bent her legs as well, and stared at the covers. The vice commander barely turned his head to gaze at Muzai. She slowly shook her head. His interest had been piqued. Hijikata frowned at her, and noted that she had returned to avoiding his gaze. The man studied the uncomfortable tense of Muzai's shoulders, yet chose to ask one more question.

"So something happened? What could have taken your voice away?"

Silence. Muzai stared at her futon, and it was obvious that she had no intention of indulging his questions. The woman locked her eyes to his, and the sparse amount of light shining through the window revealed her frown. It had to be the most intense expression she had shown him. Hijikata was perturbed to find a hint of hurt in the look, and before he could retract his inquisitive nature, Muzai laid down and offered him her back.

He must have pushed her too far.

Muzai peered at her shoulder, as if she could watch as Hijikata moved back to his futon and laid down. The man must have noticed her discomfort; she was relieved he had moved away. The rest of their night was spent in silence. Both acted as if the other didn't exist, and kept their backs to the other as they pretended to drift to sleep. Though he hadn't known Muzai long, Hijikata found it hard to accept the fact that she had completely shut down towards him.

* * *

When morning arrived, Hijikata had finally fallen into a deep dream. The man didn't know how long it had taken him to actually rest, and he didn't care. Muzai on the other hand hadn't slept at all. The woman leaned up and glanced at him over her shoulder as she placed a hand to her head. To constantly think was normal for her. She had given herself a headache. The entire night had been spent contemplating the day she stopped talking. That and a response to his questions. It was still early. The sun had yet to rise, and Muzai knew she had to answer the man before she could sleep.

Crawling from the excessively warm futon, Muzai glanced over the few things beside Hijikata. She located his notebook and pen; resting atop a small pile of change. The man's phone was beside him, and Hijikata's expression led Muzai to believe that he was far too tired to awaken. She grabbed the small book, and flipped to a blank page. As the woman grabbed the pen she stared at the open notepad. What if her response was wrong? What if it made him mad, or sounded stupid? Was it the right thing to say? Would it even matter if she tried to explain herself to him?

The man's questions had been rather personal. Maybe not to him, he wouldn't understand. It was impossible for somebody like him to understand. Muzai wondered why she was hesitating. Her eyes drifted to Hijikata, and she studied the man's peaceful expression. He had turned over in his sleep. The woman placed the tip of the pen to the blank sheet of paper, and froze. Her heart pounded within her chest, and her aching head reminded her that though he was a nice guy, she couldn't expose herself. Something like this shouldn't be so difficult. Minutes passed, and all Muzai had managed were small black dots. They didn't form anything or hold any significance. Returning her gaze to Hijikata, Muzai willed herself to write. Anything.

A loud chime interrupted her thoughts, and the woman jumped in surprise. Hijikata's phone started to vibrate, and repetitively beep. A morning alarm. The brief glimpse Muzai caught of the black device revealed that it was five thirty in the morning.

Groaning, Hijikata reached towards his phone. He tightly grasped the annoying plastic nightmare, and silenced it with a single clench of his hand. The vice commander hadn't even opened his eyes. He wanted fifteen more minutes... Was that so much to ask? Nevertheless, he had to get up, get dressed, wake the others, eat, and proceed with daily training, all before six o five. The man tiredly shifted around in his futon; grasping his pillow and sinking into it, yet reminding himself that he could not return to sleep. He was unaware of the worried pair of eyes that had locked onto him and examined every tense and lazy flex of his shoulders as he pulled his pillow over himself.

Sighing Hijikata forced his eyes open. Muzai was still sleeping. The woman hadn't moved all night. Her back was still to him, and she was under her covers. A second was spent to gather his mind before the vice commander pushed himself to his feet, pulled a uniform from his closet and left the room.

Muzai remained in place and opened her eyes, which had been tightly squeezed shut. It took a second until she found herself able to breathe again. She rigidly held the notebook to her chest; thankful that Hijikata had not noticed that it was missing. There was no way to know how long she had sat by his side, hoping to write, yet one thing was clear. She couldn't do it.

* * *

**A/N: Yay, an update! **  
**It took a while, cause I had my first three day shift. It was ridiculosly tiring. 12 hours a day- graaaahhhhhhhh SLEEP! lol**  
**I hope everybody enjoyed this chapter, though it was a bit short. I would have posted two, but the next chapter kinda stumped me. It's too soon for a kiss! TOO SOON! Sooooo, while I figure out what the heck they're gonna do, you just read this. Lol.**

**Thank you all for your comments :)**  
**They really make me happy and help keep me inspired!**


	17. Chapter 17

As Hijikata sat down to drink his coffee, he listed his daily responsibilities in his head. Kondo was still sleeping. It wouldn't matter if he was a bit late today, everybody had stayed up the night before. Though he was perfectly punctual every morning, he found himself exhausted. The man leaned his head on the wooden table beside his mug of coffee, wondering if he could get a few extra minutes before awakening everybody.

Just as his heavy eyelids closed, barely-there footsteps caught the vice commander's attention. His first thought was Kondo, and Hijikata immediately perked; to conceal his lack of motivation. Slight surprise crossed Hijikata as he spotted Muzai. The woman was standing in the doorway, clutching his notepad. It wasn't that he was startled; just expected the woman to sleep in and be lazy again. Frowning, Hijikata eyed the woman. Her brows were raised into an expression that resembled worry, yet he didn't understand why. It was too early to speak. He simply stared at her as she stood completely still.

The woman glanced around the kitchen; looking at everything but him. She shifted her weight and Hijikata wondered what she was so nervous about. Without a word, Muzai turned around and started to awkwardly walk away.

"Oi, what are you doing?"  
His low voice caused the woman to halt, and she didn't turn to face him. Seconds passed, and both remained completely still. After what felt like forever, Muzai glanced at him over her shoulder. Though she still avoided eye contact, the woman turned around. She shuffled towards him, and Hijikata raised an eyebrow at the odd movements. Muzai stopped a few feet away from the table, and peered at the wall to her right. She fidgeted with his notepad, and Hijikata couldn't help but try to decipher the brittle silence that filled the room. His intense gaze wasn't helping to calm her and he knew it, but as tired as he felt, it couldn't be helped.

Muzai moved almost too quickly for him to predict. She tossed his notebook at him and quickly fled the room. Barely enough warning was given for the man to catch the book, but when he did, all he saw was a woman randomly chucking things at his head. It was too early for this mess. Jumping to his feet, Hijikata called after the woman using his standard "Oi! What the hell was that!?".

She wasn't as fast as him. He took off after her; determined to catch the odd woman and lecture her on throwing things so early in the morning. The man didn't think to check his notepad. He left if on the table as he dashed down the hall. Muzai wasn't far ahead of him. It only took a few seconds to successfully snag the woman. Hijikata hooked his forearm around her waist; bringing Muzai to an abrupt stop. She was no match for a man that trained every day. Muzai was swung to the side as Hijikata brought her back. She froze in place as he tightened his arm, and leaned over her shoulder.

"It's too early for games, you know."

Wide eyed, Muzai stared straight ahead. Why the hell had he chased her? Furthermore, it didn't make sense for him to completely disregard his notebook. Wasn't he curious about what she had written? Moreover, now she was pinned against the man, and he seemed completely oblivious to the odd placement of their bodies. He had muttered the words in her ear, and Muzai hoped that he would realize why she had frozen this time. Either that, or that Kondo would walk down the wooden hall and yell at him for her. One thing that she was sure of was the fact that she had to move.

"I don't know what you were trying to pull, but you can't just throw things at people and run away..."  
Placing her palms on the man's forearm, Muzai hoped to slip away somehow. Hijikata sighed, and as he was about to release the woman, she spun around to face him. Her palm was outstretched; positioned to smack the vice commander. Surprise crossed the man, yet as she glared up at him she came to an immediate halt. All form of expression drained from Muzai's features. Gunmetal blue clashed with hazel; a curious gaze locked to one which seemed to pierce through anything it settled on. Her hand was a small distance away and he was positive that he was about to be hit, yet the blow never came. Maybe she was shocked to find them so close after one motion. Still, Hijikata couldn't read the woman. Her face had fallen blank, yet her eyes remained severe. They were practically breathing the same air; both tense, and unable to exhale. A few more centimeters and they would find their lips connected.

The most ridiculous thought crossed Hijikata and he found himself fully awake. Even the slightest movement would bridge the small distance between them... She wasn't a bad person from what he could tell... It wasn't like he wanted to kiss her or anything; of course he didn't. He didn't even know the annoying woman. They just kept ending up in weird situations like this. Muzai shifted her gaze, and hesitantly retracted her hand. Despite that, they were still too close. Neither moved; as if they were gauging the other's reaction.

Of course, Hijikata hadn't considered the odd position they would be in if he grabbed her. He had focused on chastising the woman. Now that he thought about it, she had every right in the world to slap him; he shouldn't do things like that to a girl. Muzai offered no warning before she shoved him back and started to turn away, yet the vice commander clasped the back of her yukata to stop her once more.

"Wait-"  
When all was still, and he had caught the woman a second time, Hijikata internally kicked himself. He would have to be more careful. Just because the Shinsengumi was a place for men, that didn't mean he could treat a guest like one of his underlings... Or a man. Muzai was leaning away, still wishing she could escape.

"There... There's enough coffee for another cup..."  
The moment the words escaped him, Muzai slowly shifted her weight. The woman frowned at him over her shoulder and he continued.  
"I'll rewrap your bandages afterwards..."  
The vice commander released her when he was positive that she had corrected her balance. Taking a step towards her, Hijikata placed a hand on Muzai's shoulder. Without a word, he led her back to the kitchen. He was already late; nobody had noticed. Might as well take the time to finish his morning brew.

The vice commander left Muzai's side as he walked to the coffee pot. He poured her a fresh mug, and turned to find the woman staring at his notepad. Though he noticed it, Hijikata decided not to acknowledge the woman's uneasy demeanor. He seated himself in his previous chair at the square table; opting not to move to the dining hall where the only women in the Shinsengumi had no doubt prepared breakfast. In all honesty, Hijikata wouldn't consider them women. They were kind, for the most part, but old. Old and nagging. Muzai reluctantly sat across from him, yet did not allow the notebook to leave her gaze for a second. Even when Hijikata pushed her coffee in front of her.

Suddenly intrigued, the man gazed at the small book. Had she written something? He moved to rasp and read it, yet before a single finger could make contact Muzai snatched it away. Frowning in confusion, Hijikata watched as the woman quickly flipped through the pages. She seemed to locate whatever she was searching for, and without a second thought tore the sheets from the book.

She was hiding something. It wasn't as if she would ever tell him. Hijikata had to find out for himself. That meant he had to "attack" her again.  
"Oi!"  
She was shredding his notes! Muzai started to tear the sheets in two, and the vice commander jumped to his feet. He quickly maneuvered around the table, and swiped at the paper, yet Muzai stood up, and turned away. Before she could even think to run, Hijikata had grabbed her once more, and whipped her around. He managed to pull a portion of the paper from her hands, and spun around as he glanced at the quarter sheet of paper.

" I do my very best not to communicate with you-  
-you just kept talking to me and I managed to respond-  
-little bit but... Hopefully, I'll never see you again-"

This wasn't his notes at all. This was something she had written. Muzai started to tug at his coat, and Hijikata frowned at the words on the paper. It didn't exactly make sense; the sentences were cut off. And why would she say that thing at the end? That bit about never seeing him again- it seemed uncalled for; even cruel. He knew he wasn't that annoying, or anything.

Slowly turning back around, Hijikata held the sheet of paper. The woman was staring up at him, obviously worried.  
"Yeah, it'd be a relief to never see you again, either."  
The man's expression had hardened into his usual steely semi-glare. Muzai frowned at him, and exasperation crept over her. Of all the bits and pieces he could have grabbed, it would be her luck for him to get the one bad thing she had written. Without the rest of her words, it sounded horrible. He couldn't understand, because he hadn't known what she had been saying.

Glancing at the shredded paper in her hands, Muzai wondered if she could piece everything back together. But it was too personal. It was probably for the best... The woman shifted her gaze, and clasped her hands behind her back. It was hopeless. Sighing, Muzai turned towards the table. No matter where or how she moved, she could not escape Hijikata's gaze. The woman grabbed the cup of coffee he had offered her, and took a small sip of it. Just hot enough to burn her tongue. Wonderful. As she ignored Hijikata, he walked away. His mug of coffee had been abandoned, and remained on the table; waiting to be consumed. This was the perfect way to leave. Now he thought that she had some sort of unjustified hate for him or something.

It couldn't be helped. In a matter of seconds, Hijikata's voice could be heard throughout the building over a loud speaker.

**"Alright, get your lazy asses up! Get dressed, eat breakfast, and report to the training room at seven! Not Seven 'o one; **_**seven**_** sharp!" **  
The announcement was completed with a loud click, which signified some sort of phone or receiver had been used to speak. Well, he seemed to be in a good mood. The only thing left to do was throw away the scraps of her papers. A small trashcan rested in the corner of the room and after tossing the ripped bits into it, Muzai returned to her spot. Sighing once more, the woman leaned onto the back of one of the chairs beside the table. She took slow sips from her coffee, and considered the misunderstanding between her and the vice commander. In the end, she hadn't been able to tell him a thing. Figures. She had a habit of saying the wrong thing. It was easier to say nothing; that way, there was no risk. Muzai couldn't help but feel foolish for forcing herself to write so much. She had known that it would make no difference.

Lazy footsteps could be heard in the background. The men of the Shinsengumi were slowly awakening; getting ready for the day with food and clothes. Footsteps behind Muzai barely caught her attention. She didn't turn to see the man behind her until he spoke.

"Zai-Chan. You're still here?"

Glancing at Sougo over her shoulder, the woman offered a slight nod. He mirrored her gesture, and stepped to the left side of the square table.

"Hijibaka too lazy to take you home?"  
Raising an eyebrow to the sandy-haired man, Muzai stared at him. He offered an invisible smile, yet the close of his eyes confirmed the expression. The man leaned onto the chair in front of him, and maintained what Muzai assumed was eye contact. Though the woman stared at the table in front of him, Sougo decided to have some fun. If she was still there, he might as well make the most of it.

"Want to play with me?"  
The woman's frown portrayed her confusion, and a monotone chuckle escaped Sougo.  
"Come to practice with me; I'll beat Hijikata-San for you."

It was an interesting proposal. With nothing better to do, Muzai agreed. It seemed like a legitimate offer, though she wondered if there would actually be some sort of fight. Of course, she didn't actually want to see Hijikata get beaten, but she was curious as to what Sougo meant. The man straightened himself, and motioned for her to follow. After a moment of hesitation, Muzai obliged. She followed Sougo around the halls and he led her to a large cafeteria. When Muzai stepped into the room behind the man, she felt as though all eyes were on her. Nevertheless, she followed the captain to a small line and received a tray of food from two overly enthusiastic elderly women.

Sougo led her to a rectangular table, and she sat beside him; studying the food. Rice, an egg, and miso. It seemed scarce, but then again, it was probably best not to overeat before training. Chatter filled the air never ceasing for a single second. The room was filled with multiple men; all eating and trying to wake up before practice. The pair started to eat in silence, Sougo relaxed, and Muzai trying to ignore the pairs of eyes on her back. The only other women were the ladies handing out food. It was obvious that the Shinsengumi was a place for men, and men alone.

"Zai-Chan, are you alright?"  
Glancing towards Sougo, Muzai paused. She had been pushing her food around her tray. It was too easy to make the woman uncomfortable. Sougo wanted her to be more challenging. She did well when he tortured her, she could do better than freezing up in public. That way, he could do more things to freak her out; like talk about when she first came and didn't have clothes, or trip her. In her current condition, the mention of such things would probably kill her.

Muzai nodded, and returned her gaze to her food. Eyeing the woman, Sougo sighed. He shifted his weight, and placed his elbow on the table. The closest people were three seats away; he had figured she wouldn't be uncomfortable.

Placing a hand on the woman's head, Sougo patted her.  
"Hmm, you shouldn't be so nervous... You survived three days of torture, and barely made a sound. You can handle a few strangers. If anybody knows it would be me; you're stronger than that."

For the first time, Muzai made eye contact with the man. She stared at him with no expression, and he mirrored the look. Sougo was slightly surprised to find the corners of her lips tugging into what he assumed to be a thankful smile. He retracted his hand, and turned back to his food as if he had seen nothing. Muzai tapped his shoulder twice, and he glanced at her from the corners of his eyes before returning to his meal. Soon, the woman joined him. It seemed that his previous words had encouraged her enough to ignore the many prying eyes. Muzai was oblivious to the vice commander's gaze.

From where Hijikata sat, he could clearly see her having a little moment with Sougo. Talk about backwards. Sougo had tortured her, and Hijikata had helped her. Even so, she hated Hijikata, and seemed to have some sort of weirdly romantic fetish thing going on with Sougo. What the fuck? That was ridiculously twisted. Next he would find her whispering in Sougo's ear, and leaning over the captain's shoulder. Sleeping in Sougo's room, and cheering him on when he almost kills Hijikata. Not like it really mattered, but it was still fucked up.

* * *

**A/N: Hi all :)**  
**So this story got more attention over my days off. That means more chapters. The next is already finished as well, but I didn't have time to edit it.**

**AL19- It's a state job, so the days are long. There are an equal amount of days off, but it's barely enough to rest, haha. I'm a dispatcher, but still in training. Every day, I've been leaning 30 new codes to speak properly on the radio. So my brain has been kinda mad at me lately, lol**

**Thank you all for your comments, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)**


	18. Chapter 18

When breakfast was over, Muzai found herself being led to the training room. It was solid wood; polished and clean. Bokkens rested in a few storage barrels in the middle of the room, and each man took one. As they entered the room, Sougo turned to face Muzai. Hijikata was already standing in the middle of the room, watching the men file in and sit in orderly rows; awaiting his commands.

"Zai-Chan, do you know how to use a sword?"  
Tilting her head, Muzai studied Sougo. It seemed to be a genuine question. The sandy-haired man blankly peered at her as she considered her response. Of course, she couldn't speak the words she wished, and settled for a single shake of her head. The woman avoided his crimson eyes, yet Sougo was accustomed to submissive behavior.

"Hmm... I'll teach you. Play with me today, and I'll show you. Do you do anything physical? Are you in shape?"  
A slight frown creased the woman's brow, and she slowly nodded. Sougo donned a curious expression, which questioned her activities. A second passed, and she wondered if she could tell him. Instead of trying, she patted his coat. The man glanced down at her hand and watched as she pulled his notepad from his pocket. It was a rule for every man to keep the books; for remembering details when they did their reports. Muzai focused on the notepad as she flipped past their conversation from the previous night. The woman wrote her response and held it up for Sougo to read the one word.

"Dance?" He echoed, and she nodded. She handed his notepad back, and Sougo studied an odd motion she made to add detail. She placed one fist on top of her other, then tapped the blue fabric over her bicep.

Understanding crossed Sougo, and he slowly nodded. A slight frown creased his brow as he felt the need to ask another question.

"For money?"  
The inquiry earned an unexpected laugh, and Muzai promptly shook her head. She patted Sougo's chest as if he was the most hilarious person she had ever met, and he curiously gazed at her. Before their conversation could progress they were interrupted by an annoying voice that Sougo knew too well.

"Damn it, stop flirting and get in formation!"

Falling silent, Muzai peered at Hijikata. Sougo also glanced at the man over his shoulder. Of course, the captain couldn't care less about the man's whining. Turning back to Muzai he offered a small smile.  
"You'll train with me today." He stated; ignoring the apologetic expression the woman held, as well as the harsh glare he was receiving.

Turning towards Hijikata, Sougo donned an alarmingly cheerful smile.  
"Oh, Hijikata-San. I didn't know you were there; spying like a weirdo." Still smiling, Sougo started towards the group. He paused when he stood between the men and Hijikata, and the smile fell from his face. His conversation was just starting to get good and Hijikata had to go and ruin it. Muzai would take time to talk to him again because that had no doubt embarrassed her. One more reason to hate Hijikata. Without warning Sougo fixed his sinister gaze on the vice commander. The expression earned a familiar alarmed stare. Without warning, the sandy haired man vertically swiped his bokken at Hijikata. The vice commander stepped back, and managed to block the attack with his own training sword. The horizontal positioning of his blade had been expected.

"What the fuck Sougo?! We haven't even started yet! What are you trying to-"  
"Hijikata-San, you shouldn't stand so close to spiders; you almost got in the way." Venom dripped from the words, only to be masked with the nothingness of Sougo's usual deadpan expression. The captain casually walked away, and twirled his sword around in one hand as he found a spot in the front row on the ground.

Clearing his throat, Hijikata straightened his stance. Muzai had been watching that. He probably looked ridiculous; freaking out over something like that. Sougo had purposely tried to humiliate him. While that was normal, the captain was attempting to best him and make it look effortless. Hijikata ignored the woman in the arch of a doorway, and plotted his revenge. He would not lose. Sougo was going down. Women didn't enter the Shinsengumi often, and he couldn't let one leave thinking that a captain was better than the vice commander. The only logical explanation for Muzai wanting to never see him again was Sougo. The captain must have tainted her image of him. It all made sense now.

"Alright men, pair up. One-on-one today." Eying the captain, Hijikata prepared for the most intense practice session of his life. His honor was worth it. He could withstand Sougo's expert sword technique. Easily. Yamazaki walked to the vice commander's side, and earned an annoyed glare.

A sheepish smile curled the spy's lips, and he scratched his head.  
"Well, I guess that just leaves us."  
Frowning, Hijikata shook his head.  
"What are you talking about? Sougo's my partner." The sure tone in the vice commander's tone earned a slight chuckle from Yamazaki.  
"What?"

"Go find someone else!" Barking the command, Hijikata narrowed his eyes at the spy. Yamazaki stepped back slightly, yet did not retreat. Instead, the spy pointed towards the doorway.  
"Sougo said he was going to practice with Zai-Chan today."

Confusion settled over Hijikata and he turned to peer in the direction Yamazaki suggested. As stated, Sougo was offering the woman a bokken. She carefully accepted it, and started to study the training sword as the captain smiled at her. What the hell was going on? And what was with that stupid nickname? Had she been chumming it up with everybody but him? As far as he was concerned, Hijikata was still on surname-basis with the woman. In a matter of days everybody else had some sort of cutesy nickname for her.

As Sougo spoke to the woman, Hijikata felt frustration writhe within him. The captain had started a war and abandoned it to fool around with some woman. Sounded like the history of every war known to man now that he thought about it. But still- that wasn't fair. Whipping around, Hijikata swung his bokken at his 'leftover' partner. Apparently the blow was unanticipated. It was barely blocked with a flimsy supported defense, and Yamazaki jumped in surprise.

"Gah! Hijikata-San! Why are you attacking ME?!"  
"You're my partner aren't you?!" The vice commander snapped, preparing for another attack. He offered no response time between his blows, and relentlessly accosted the poor spy. Apparently, that was a sign that all of the men should do the same.

As the training room was filled with the chaos of multiple battles, Sougo explained the basics of sword fighting to Muzai. The woman intently listened, and even managed a bit of eye contact.

"Keep your wrist loose, okay? Tight grasp, loose wrist. Try not to over think things. If you spend all your time thinking, your enemy could be attacking. People normally die when they're hit, so you know; try to avoid that."

Frowning, Muzai peered at the captain. She tilted her head, as she considered trying to obtain his notepad. Despite the ruckus around them she felt a touch of comfort. It was the perfect setting for attempting to speak. Especially because she felt like laughing.

Sougo watched as the woman's lips parted, yet she froze. With a timid shift of her gaze, Muzai leaned towards him. Airy words met the captain's ear, and humor sparked within him.  
"Getting hit or the dying part?"  
Snickering, he patted Muzai's head. She was like a pet. One that could withstand torture; how fun.  
"Do you want to stretch or something? You haven't been active in a while, you know." The captain's words earned a slight frown, which was quickly followed by a nod.

As Hijikata took care to fully dominate Yamazaki's technique, Sougo watched as Muzai sat down, and started to stretch. The woman reached for her toes, and Sougo found a flaw in her outfit.  
"Zai-Chan, you should put on some pants for this. Mine should fit you."  
Glancing up at the man, Muzai nodded. In a matter of seconds, she was being led away. It didn't take long for the pair to reach Sougo's room. Once inside, the man walked to his closet and produced a pair of black pants; identical to his. His room was the same as Hijikata's, just a touch smaller. The man had a pair of drawers similar to Hijikata's as well, yet in a lighter shade. Sougo glanced over his outfits, only to find that he had no shirts to lend. That gave him an idea. Muzai was so shy that she wouldn't protest.

She walked to his side, and Sougo offered her the pants.  
"You should wrap your chest. Leave that yukata in here." Walking past the woman, Sougo paused to glance at her over his shoulder.

"I'll get the gauze... Oh, and I know your outfit isn't exactly... Complete. Boxers over there." Motioning to a small set of drawers under the window of his room, Sougo continued to the door. His statement had slightly flustered Muzai, and she stared at the pants he had handed her as he left. The door closed, and the woman walked to the drawers he had pointed out. In the top compartment, she found a decent pair of boxers as he had stated, and pulled them on. The woman stepped into the pants Sougo loaned her, and eased them over her hips. They were loose and comfortable; perfect for stretching and any odd motions she may find herself making. The door opened without warning, and Sougo tossed a roll of gauze to her.

Muzai barely managed to catch the wrap. It had been unexpected.  
"Wow, you got dressed really fast. I expected you to be naked or something." Chuckling, Sougo shook his head, and closed the door as suddenly as he had opened it.

Muzai frowned after her, unsure of what to make of his words. She wondered why he was being so nice. When she had first met him in the interrogation room, he was evil. Now he seemed innocent, and harmless. She wasn't sure if that was good or bad. Either way, she shrugged out of her yukata, and set to wrapping her chest. At least it was some sort of support.

When Muzai exited the room, Sougo curiously studied the woman. She had wrapped over one of her shoulders and taken care to fully conceal her chest. It looked more decent than he had envisioned, yet that was probably a good thing. Without a word they started back to the training room.

* * *

All hell was still breaking loose between the members of the Shinsengumi. The men had not stopped fighting. Sougo instructed Muzai to stretch while he retrieved their bokkens, and the woman did as she was told. Nobody paid attention to her odd warm ups. Not a single person realized just how flexible she was. While Muzai tested the flexibility of her back by literally bending over backwards and maneuvering into a handstand which somehow resulted in her standing regularly, Sougo glanced at Hijikata's ongoing battle with Yamazaki. The vice commander seemed excruciatingly irritated, and was taking it out on the spy. Yamazaki was doing well at maintaining and keeping up with him, yet it was impossible to predict how long that would last.

Muzai had managed to contort her body in ways previously deemed impossible; such as standing splits. By the time the man returned to her side and offered her a bokken, she was looser than a thrift shop turtleneck.  
"Do you remember what I said?"  
Sougo's question earned a nod, and he eyed the woman. She seemed more comfortable; probably because she didn't have to worry about wardrobe malfunctions. Stepping back, Sougo mirrored the woman's nod.  
"Try to hit me." It was the best approach for teaching. Muzai seemed surprised by the command. She hesitated, and Sougo studied the woman as if he could see her thought process. It wouldn't be fair to charge her; he was experienced. If she learned, he could continually enjoy besting her. On top of that, by some odd stroke of chance she could turn out to be a challenge. A second passed, and Muzai tightened her grip on the bokken. So predictable.

Sougo saw her motion from a mile away. The moment the woman approached him and swung the training sword, he stepped out of the way. Muzai stopped herself from falling, and turned to peer at him.

It became apparent that Sougo was going to play cat and mouse with her. She would chase and he would evade until she managed to hit him. Nothing better to do; might as well kill some time.

After over an hour of blowing off some steam, Hijikata managed to trip Yamazaki. The vice commander hooked his bokken around the spy's ankle, and he fell backwards. Glaring down at the innocent man that had nothing to do with his frustration, Hijikata decided to call it a successful day of training. It seemed that things had gotten a bit out of hand. When he turned back to the group all of the men were rioting around him. Battle cries filled the air along with the sound of opposing wood. That was no good. How was Muzai supposed to watch him and figure out how manly and unafraid he was? Without a doubt, the woman had gotten lost in the chaos, and was crying on the floor somewhere. Probably. If she even cried. She probably did; she was a girl, after all.

Walking to the middle of the room, Hijikata shouted a command to his men. His exact words were.  
"Alright, stop fucking around; we're done here!"

It took a while, but the fighting started to die down. Men slowly ended their battles, and returned to their previous sitting positions. As the commotion died down, Hijikata glanced over the room for Muzai. It was possible that the woman had gotten bored and left to find Kondo. The training had taken a while, and it was hard to believe that she would still be there. Then he caught sight of the woman. Like the men that had ended their friendly wars, she was panting. Only, the woman had somehow found time to change her clothes. Sougo was talking to her, and Muzai was staring straight at the captain.

Frowning, Hijikata studied her tired posture. He had forgotten to re-wrap her wrists. She held a bokken at her side, and offered occasional nods to Sougo as he spoke. The woman's brow was furrowed as if she was deeply concentrating on whatever was being said. She picked the bokken up, and Sougo shook his head. The captain stepped to her side, and positioned one of his arms under hers. He took hold of the bokken, and Muzai allowed him to replace her hands.

So while Hijikata was displaying his manliness, Sougo was using the time to crawl all over Muzai? Ridiculous! Well, not that it was about Muzai. Just that she was like Kondo's daughter, and the commander would not want her to be so close to Sougo.

"Training's over! Go wash up and patrol! Men, you know your shifts! Get to work!" As the vice commander barked the commands, the members of the Shinsengumi pushed themselves up. Sougo and Muzai peered at Hijikata and it seemed as if he had managed to pop their blissful bubble of perverted stupidity. Multiple men tiredly exited the room; all taking care to replace their training swords. Sweat hung in the air, and the open door allowed fresh oxygen to pour into the room.

Pulling a cigarette from his coat, Hijikata started towards Sougo and Muzai. The captain wasn't leaving. He was still talking to the woman, and using his dirty methods to 'correct her form'. Sougo could not be trusted to do something like that. It was common knowledge that the man was generally evil. For him to be nice was unheard of, and probably a bad omen.

"Alright you two! You can get off each other now! Sougo- go instruct your men! Are you abandoning the first division?! Do you want to die?! That's grounds for seppuku!"

Sougo blankly peered at the man before stepping away from Muzai. The woman glanced at the ground beside Hijikata, and irritation settled over him. Seconds ago, she had been staring straight into Sougo's eyes, yet she couldn't even look at him?

"Hijikata-San. I didn't know you were still here. But now that I think about it, the smell of mayonnaise _is_ still in the air."

Narrowing his eyes at the captain, Hijikata shook his head.  
"GO! Get to work! Stop slacking!"

A raised eyebrow met the vice commander, and Sougo glanced at Muzai. The expression revealed the fact that Sougo had figured it out. A smirk tugged at the corners of his lips, and he locked his eyes to Hijikata's.  
"Mm." Placing a hand on Muzai's head Sougo peered at the woman. She was about his height, yet her tired posture made it hard to tell. Only slightly; she maintained better than he expected.

"Zai-Chan, I'll find you when I'm finished."  
Muzai gazed at the man, and he offered a slight smile before hoisting his bokken over his shoulder. The room was empty. Sougo placed his training sword in the barrel by the door before turning to exit the room. He had a funny idea.

When Muzai started to walk away, Hijikata crossed his arms.

"Where do you think you're going? Stay here."  
The woman paused, and slowly turned to glance at him over her shoulder. Curiosity had taken her features, and Hijikata lit his cigarette. Neither spoke as the man took a drag, and savored the taste of the tobacco. The door had been left open, and a slight breeze broke the heat of the day.

Nothing good can ever come from two sweaty people of opposite genders being left alone in a room full of swords.

* * *

**A/N: An update! Yaaayyy! lol, thank you all for your reviews, I'm so happy to know that you like this story :D**


	19. Chapter 19

An undeniable sense of awkwardness settled over Muzai as she waited for an explanation as to why she had been instructed to stay behind. The woman didn't want to be alone with Hijikata. Especially after their misunderstanding. The vice commander continued to glare at her; calmly smoking. In response, Muzai fidgeted under his gaze. She still held her bokken at her side. Though the woman avoided eye contact Hijikata chose not to point it out. Of course, he was annoyed that she found it so easy to stare straight at Sougo, yet couldn't even look at him. But that was fine. He didn't care. He would not allow her obvious discomfort to stand in his way.

Thick silence hung in the air and it was clear that Muzai had no intention of attempting to break it. Taking a drag of his cigarette, the vice commander eyed the woman. She lowered her head, and clenched her hands behind her back. The bokken stuck out to the side; aimed at the ground. The wrap around Muzai's torso had loosened, and the lower edge slightly slouched around her side. It was clear that Sougo had loaned her a pair of his pants, and Hijikata contemplated the degree of their closeness.

"Raise your sword."  
As the man spoke, Muzai frowned. She shifted her gaze and slowly heeded his command. Hijikata studied the woman's form for a second before moving to her side. He immediately spotted her problem, and shook his head.

"How do you expect to move the sword with your hands so close together?"  
Flicking away the butt of his cigarette, Hijikata placed his arms around Muzai. His hands covered hers, and he slid her right hand to the end of the handle. The man took care to keep her left at the finger guard, and turned the bokken from left to right as if to strike horizontally. Tightening his grasp around hers, the vice commander dipped their right hands, and raised the "blade" of the bokken. He glanced at the woman that was practically, yet not exactly in his arms.

"Move like this..."  
Muzai remained completely still as the man slowly brought her hands back, and moved through a horizontal strike. She tried to pay attention. Really... But it was somewhat unnerving to have a man so close. Of course, he was only trying to teach her, and she knew that, but still... It was... Distracting. Hijikata showed her a few different ways to strike, and his body never left hers. The man's hands remained over her own; forcing her to keep a tight grasp.

"And don't be so tense. You need to relax or your motions will be awkward." He added, and Muzai tried not to frown. She wasn't thinking about the sword anymore. In all honesty, she had almost completely forgotten it. Hijikata tapped the woman's foot with his.  
"Legs apart. You need a wider stance."

The command boggled Muzai's mind, and she peered at the tatami beneath her feet. For a second, she almost forgot that she needed to breathe. Clearly, the man was oblivious to the alternate nature of his words. If he expected Muzai to "widen her stance" with him directly behind her, he was mistaken. When the vice commander noticed her hesitation he gently called her out.

"Do you want to learn or not?!"  
See? Gentle... The snapped words burned the woman's face as she reluctantly heeded his guidance. Once Muzai obliged, Hijikata's tense stance relaxed. He moved the bokken once more, this time in a diagonal motion, and the woman found herself only half-way paying attention. The vice commander was saying something. She had no idea what; it wasn't like listening to Sougo. Muzai managed to catch the last half of his lecture by forcing her attention to the man's voice.

"It's just an extension of your arm; of you. Swords are not toys... If you just want to learn for fun or to kill, you should quit."

Frowning, Muzai gazed at the man over her shoulder. Her eyes locked to his and he coldly glared down at her. Both held the intense eye contact, and Hijikata wondered when she would look away. When he figured that she wouldn't he continued.

"Bend your knees. You need your balance, so place one foot forward."  
Stepping away, the vice commander tapped the back of the woman's knee. She slowly obliged, and Hijikata offered a slight nod of approval. He instructed the woman to swing the bokken, and after a slight pause she attempted to do so. Well, she achieved the swing part, that wasn't an issue. Nevertheless, it was sloppy; nothing like what he had shown her.

Frowning, Hijikata shook his head. The man released an exasperated sigh, and pulled a cigarette from his coat pocket. Muzai mirrored his irritated expression as he lit said smoke, and shook his head once more. It was obvious that he was mentally insulting her. If she could hear his thoughts, she assumed there would be a generous amount of "what the fuck"s.

"You really can't fight can you? You don't have an ounce of muscle or coordination, do you?" Placing a hand to his head, Hijikata sighed once more. This was going to take more work than he imagined. He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he didn't see Muzai stand up straight, and place a hand on her hip. An eyebrow raised as she lowered the bokken and studied Hijikata's annoyance.

So much for proving his manliness. Even he couldn't fix whatever she had just done. It looked like an awkward... Well, something. He didn't know if she had been trying to step forward, or keep herself from tripping, but her feet hadn't even moved. To be honest, he had no clue what she had been trying to achieve.

"Really... That... Was just... Pathetic... _What_ were you _doing_? I didn't tell you to do... _Whatever that was_... All you were supposed to do was move your _arms_! _What the hell was that_?! Where did that even _come_ from? Did you almost _trip_? Did you manage to nearly _trip_?! Your feet didn't even _move_!" When the man opened his eyes he found Muzai to be glaring at him. The woman's lips slightly parted, and he shook his head once more.

"Fighting isn't for you... You could barely even smoke a cigarette. You should just-... Go weave a basket or something. That wasn't anything like what I just showed you..." Still downing the woman, Hijikata propped his cigarette between his lips. His cold gaze rested on Muzai as she stood in place. Maybe he had gone too far. She didn't seem to be moving. Both remained completely still; locked in an intense staring competition. Finally after a few intense seconds, Muzai narrowed her eyes at the man. She slightly tilted her head towards him, and his eyes skimmed over her before locking back to her gaze.

A split moment of confusion crossed the vice commander. What was with that death glare? Almost without warning, Muzai started towards him. He had no idea how hard she had tried. It wasn't her fault that he had distracted her. And what the hell did cigarettes have to do with how well somebody could fight? Irritation seeped throughout the woman and she stopped in front of Hijikata. The man frowned down at her, and willed himself not to back away. She was just some mute woman; there was nothing to fear. She couldn't do anything to him; even though she looked as though she wanted to rip him apart.

His gaze remained icy, and Muzai threw the training sword across the room. Huh, look at that, she was taking his advice. Good. Now she just needed to find a basket weaving class. To his surprise, Muzai raised to the tip of her toes. Her palms pressed into his chest as she pressed her face to the side of his. Immediately tense, Hijikata froze as her lips grazed his ear.

"Sougo is a better teacher than you."  
As Muzai spoke, one of her hands slipped to his face. She grasped his cigarette with her fist, and snatched it away as she pulled back. Muzai scowled at the man as she brought the cigarette to her own lips. All Hijikata could do was stare at her wide eyed; frowning, of course. The woman took a drag of his cigarette, before she crumpled it in her palm and dropped the pitiful remains on the floor. Indirect kiss or not, he needed to know that it was not alright to speak to her like that. Especially when it was his fault.

Okay... Muzai was pissed. If the harsh scowl wasn't enough, the fact that she just extinguished a cigarette with her palm was.

"Oi, don't litter! I'll take you back to jail!" And Hijikata decided to worry about the little things. It was better to do that instead of addressing the insulted woman in front of him. When he spoke, Muzai seemed to grow more irritated. Would he not realize the fact that he had instigated this? No words were offered before Muzai stepped to the man's side once more. She lightly pushed him back, and Hijikata frowned down at her. When he simply stepped away, Muzai followed him, and pushed him again.

"Cut it out! What the hell are you doing?!"

As he spoke, she reached up and lightly tapped the man's cheek. It was a soft imitation of a slap, and when Hijikata started to shout at her again, Muzai stepped back. She pointed to herself, and mouthed the words.  
_Me_  
The woman held a single finger up, and continued.  
_One._  
Pointing at Hijikata, she felt her lips tug in an invisible smirk, which was more angry than anything.

_You_  
Connecting her thumb to the tips of her fingers she held her hand up.  
_Zero._

The vice commander rolled his eyes at the proposition. Yeah right. Like he would fight a girl. He shook his head and reached into his coat; grabbing his pack of cigarettes. As the man moved to pull another out, Muzai smacked the pack out of his hands. Almost as quickly as she did, she had tapped his jaw again.

Clenching his teeth, Hijikata glared at the woman. She held her hands up, ready to strike again. The challenging tilt of her head was enough to show that she wasn't going to let him get off so easily. Muzai held up two fingers; keeping track of her score.

"No." Hijikata answered. The man moved to pick his cigarettes up. Patience... He needed to have patience... It was definitely not okay to body slam Muzai. She didn't let him reach his cigarettes. Instead, the woman pushed him back, and lightly smacked him again.

"Damn it!" At his end, Hijikata moved to grab the woman. She slipped away and moved backwards in some sort of odd, flip-like thing. He had no idea what the hell was going on. Before he even knew she was out of reach, he had found Muzai to be bent over completely backwards, and gracefully moving her feet over herself. It was too quick to really see, or process, but he was positive she had just done some sort of gymnastics thing. A walkover.

Muzai raised an eyebrow to the man as he stared at her wide eyed. Before he could move she was back at his side. The woman spun around him, and tapped his jaw once more. What was that? Four? Oh, it was on now. She couldn't win. Turning around, Hijikata swiped at the woman. She stepped away, yet he followed the motion through and managed to tap her neck. One. Haha! ONE! He was going to dominate her! She didn't stand a chance!

A slight smirk curled her lips as she side stepped Hijikata. He predicted her motion and avoided her open palm by moving backwards. With one swift movement he managed to hit the woman again; gently, of course. He was already halfway caught up. While he was cheering himself on, Muzai took the opportunity to smack his chest. Frowning, Hijikata reached to snag another point, yet she blocked his with her forearm. Her stance was perfect now. How strange... Muzai gripped his coat and pulled it open. Suddenly flustered, Hijikata moved away, only to find the woman following him. She pressed against him, and a sly smirk curled her lips as she used his startled mind as an advantage. The woman tapped his chin, and he realized her game. Hijikata nudged her back, and as he started to return her hit, she blocked him once more.

A second was spent staring at one another before Hijikata noticed the temperature of the room. He stepped back, and studied Muzai for a second. Determination was etched into her features, and he knew he would have to end this quickly. The man pulled his coat off and threw it to the ground beside his cigarettes. He then moved to tap his opponent. Muzai blocked him again, and attempted a counter attack. Just as quickly as she moved Hijikata found himself blocking a solid smack. This was getting serious. She really didn't want to move. He found himself forced backwards in a blur of open palms and preventative forearms, which smack the hand away. The only sound was that of colliding limbs and sleeves; firmly blocking, and being blocked.

Stepping back, Hijikata made contact with Muzai's cheek. He was almost caught off guard when Muzai tried to knee him in the thigh. Oh yeah, there was no turning back now. It was on. Shoving the woman backwards, Hijikata avoided her underhanded blow. Just as quickly as he moved, Muzai had her palms on the ground. The woman blocked him with a single leg, and used the momentum to kick him in the chest, and bring herself to her feet again. She dropped to the ground and Hijikata barely had enough time to jump over a swipe at his ankles. He ducked down, seeing the opportunity for an easy lick. To his surprise, the woman used a single hand to flip over his palm. Holy crap, he was fighting Cat Woman. Who the hell can do something like that? It wasn't just a regular flip. It was a bouncy effortless-looking _side_ flip. Some sort of godly _airborne_ cartwheel.

Once Muzai was on her feet again the man spun around her and tapped her jaw. She was only one point ahead of him now- he was catching up. Moreover, Muzai was angry. There was no way that she was going to lose to him. He was a jerk; he deserved to be defeated. Hijikata was behind her and too busy smirking in his short-lived all-too-early victory. Thinking quickly, Muzai jammed her elbow into his forearm. The blow was enough to trigger some sort of instinctive defense mechanism within the man. Before he knew it, he had slammed his shoulder into Muzai's.

The woman (of course) fell to the ground, and Hijikata's jaw dropped. Huh, well, she should not have challenged him. That had to be worth three points, at least. Shit, if Kondo found Hijikata beating his daughter, he would have a fit.

"Oh- Uh, you alright..? Down there?" Raising an eyebrow, Hijikata attempted to feign innocence. Muzai sat up, and glared at him. The man moved towards her, and extended his hand.

"So uh... I guess I won... Cause that was a pretty serious win-move... And uhh... You know, you're on the ground..."

The woman slowly reached for his hand, yet before he knew it, her legs wrapped around his torso. Startled, Hijikata attempted to react, yet before he could, he was being slammed into the ground. He found Muzai over him. Her hands firmly held his shoulders to the ground, and though he was stronger, Hijikata found it hard to do anything about it without his breath. Muzai leaned towards him; obviously intent on whispering.

"How did _that _feel? So much for _Demon Vice Commander_."  
Tilting her head, Muzai narrowed her eyes at the man. He frowned at the sound of her voice, yet she didn't seem to be aware of the fact that she was speaking.

"_Oh_, I guess I won." The condescendingly teasing tone was met with a struggle. Hijikata bucked his hips, and moved to push the woman away. She locked her legs around him to keep her balance, and gripped his wrists. Though she tried to force the man to be still, he was too much of a challenge. The two remained on the floor, grappling and fighting for dominance.

Hijikata managed to free one of his wrists, and immediately grabbed the crook of Muzai's neck. In a matter of seconds, he rolled on top of her. The woman lost her grasp on his opposite wrist as she was pushed to the ground. Neither realized the positioning of their bodies, or what the scene would appear to be if one was to walk into the room. Hijikata successfully blocked every attempt the woman made at escaping. When she tapped his jaw, he realized his mistake.

He had no way to defend himself if he was busy trying to keep himself over her. Muzai's legs released him, and she bucked against the man as if such a weak attempt could prove useful.

"Stop squirming- You've already lost."  
The growled words actually brought Muzai's actions to a halt. Her hands clutched Hijikata's vest in what he assumed to be defeat. She knew he was right; she couldn't escape. Nothing could be heard over the breathless pants which escaped the two. That and intense heartbeats, which seemed to accompany their competition. Hazel clashed with gunmetal blue as the pair locked eyes. Though it seemed impossible, even more sweat had covered them during the course of their small duel. Muzai's gaze fell to Hijikata's lips, which were slightly parted in order to aid him in catching his breath. Her leg slid up the outside of his, and for once, the man noticed the lack of distance between them. He was only inches away from Muzai; watching her.

Before the vice commander knew what was happening the woman's hands slipped up his vest. One weaved into his hair, and the other caressed his jaw as he was pulled into an unexpected kiss. Lips locked to his, and he felt himself freeze at the contact. Muzai's eyes were closed, yet Hijikata's were wide. He didn't understand how this had happened. And as the woman moved against him, he couldn't pull away. The hand in his hair tightened as Muzai continued to accost him. It took a second, but Hijikata found himself returning the gesture. He lowered himself and their lips parted. As the kiss deepened, Hijikata found the sensible side of his mind; rather, it found him. Muzai's leg had wrapped around one of his and snapped him back into himself.

Immediately pushing himself away, Hijikata stood on his knees.  
"_Wh- What are you doing?!_" He held his hands up as if it would prove he had not been involved in the scene. The words had escaped him in the form of a gasp, and Muzai propped herself up on her elbows. The woman stared at him with wide eyes, obviously unsure of how to answer his question. Her gaze flicked to the ground, and she bit her lower lip.

Without warning, the woman pushed herself up and away from Hijikata. She didn't even spare a glance on him as she fled the room. All he could do was stare after her; dumbfounded.

* * *

**A/N: Oh gosh... That just... Kinda got outta hand... Yep. I had no clue that this would happen. wtf you two? O.o**


	20. Chapter 20

Hijikata's eyes remained on the open door. He tried to make sense of the odd scene that had ended mere seconds before. He was positive that Muzai had just kissed him. To top that off, he had no idea what he should do about it. If he claimed to have never thought of doing the same it would be a lie, but that was unexpected. Moreover, he always considered the woman to be shy; now he didn't know what to think. Even the way she snatched his cigarette away was... Well... Not shy. The opposite of shy. Then she kissed him. The vice commander had kissed her back. Sort of. Well, before he yelled at her. But it wasn't exactly a yell.

He didn't know what it was. There were many things he didn't know at the moment; his mind had completely blanked. Like, what he was supposed to be doing right now, for instance. There was probably something for him to do, but he couldn't think about it. The man placed a hand over his lips and frowned. His gaze left the doorway, and he stared at the tatami floor beneath him. Earlier she had written a note that said she never wanted to see him again, now she was kissing him. It didn't make sense. How could something like that stem from teaching her how to use a sword?

Muzai had horribly failed; that was an understatement. Nevertheless, the woman was skilled at hand-to-hand combat. For some reason. And the way she had moved... She was ridiculously flexible...

As the man re-listed the events in his head, he noticed a growing discomfort. His own thoughts had taken him to dangerous territory. Uh, pants-tightening danger.

Clearing his throat, Hijikata pushed himself to his feet. The man dusted his clothes off, and tried to mask the catastrophe near his zipper. At some point, his clothes had grown unbearably hot. That meant the man would have to find a way to conceal himself without his coat. Self control- He needed to contain himself! There was no reason for him to react in such a way; he had a case to solve, and Muzai was still a suspect. Somewhat. Yes, she was a suspect, she had done horrible things!

So why was that furthering his excitement? Oh god, he was a crooked cop! He never thought it would happen like this! How long had he been taking advantage of female suspects? How could he not know about this?!

Wait- no, he wasn't a crooked cop. He hadn't done anything; Muzai had started all of that. It was her fault; she had tempted him and... Well, any man would kiss a woman back. If a woman walked up to a random guy on the street and started kissing him, that random guy would kiss back, and give her the night of- No, no, his mind was doing that weird thing again! There were no nights, or random women that kissed guys. Nothing had ever happened. He didn't kiss her back, he stopped her. From doing weird things. Yeah.

The vice commander picked up his coat and cigarettes before placing one between his lips. He needed to calm down.

* * *

Over an hour later, Hijikata had managed to get back on track. The man had stopped by his office, and sifted through some paperwork. He remembered that he was supposed to check the tapes at the asylum, and set a reminder on his phone. First, he had to call the investigators. Kondo had left a note on his desk, stating that the news wanted to do a story on the asylum. Time to dodge cameras. A while was spent researching the asylum. Hijikata looked up the main source of funding, and families involved. What he found caught his interest.

"Yoshi Jirou" The name was mumbled aloud as Hijikata scrolled down the page of his computer. Muzai had claimed that a man named Yoshi had caused some sort of commotion. Here Hijikata was; staring at his second lead. Interview and interrogation time. This man seemed to be important. Big cheese, in a sense. The picture of him showed a serious, business-type man in an orange kimono. He was balding, and had combed his hair over to make it more obvious. This was the man Hijikata needed to find.

Standing up, the vice commander started towards his door. He needed to tell Kondo what he had found. As Hijikata stepped into the hallway, he found the last person he wanted to see. From the looks of things, Muzai had just left Kondo's office. The woman paused in the doorway, and stared at him before quickly averting her gaze.

With all the dignity in the world, Hijikata started towards her- er Kondo's office. The man took three steps before turning to read a sign about the proper care of one's body. He placed a hand to his chin as he peered up at the sign.  
_Step one: Sleep is important! _It was written with a happy face, and Hijikata wondered if he should really be staring at the sign. Muzai was approaching him. The woman stopped a few times and glanced at the signs on the opposite wall. Oh god, this was horrible.

Was he supposed to pretend to take a sudden interest in maintaining his health? Was the human body that important? Was Muzai convinced? Did he really need to drink _eight _glasses of water a _day_?! That was preposterous! He would spend three hours peeing, if that was so. He couldn't possibly drink _that_ much water, it has no flavor!

When Hijikata glanced towards Muzai from the corners of his eyes he found the woman had disappeared. A low sigh escaped the man and relief crept over him. Hijikata started towards Kondo's office, and Sougo could be heard in the background.

"Really, Zai-Chan? You don't even speak on the phone? She can't see you nodding... She can understand you? Really? How would your friend know you're at the Shinsengumi if you don't tell her? ... She knew? Over the phone? That doesn't make sense..."

Ducking into Kondo's office, Hijikata felt he could finally relax. The commander was seated at his desk; staring at a notepad. Though it was none of his business, Hijikata found himself curious. He wondered if Muzai had written something, yet didn't ask.

"I think I found the guy that Kikuno-San was talking about."  
When he spoke, Hijikata was met with an odd frown.  
"Who?" The goril- Commander asked, ad Hijikata mirrored his expression.  
"Kikuno-San, you know; the girl, woman, person. That one."  
Kondo slowly nodded and his expression turned into a grin.  
"Oh! Why didn't you just say so?! You had me worried there for a second, Toushi! I thought you were seeing some secret woman! I'd hate to know you were sneaking around and going on midnight rendezvous with a mystery girl!" The commander laughed, and Hijikata forced a tense chuckle. Yeah, no rendezvous for him.

"So I might have found that Yoshi guy. We need to-"  
"Yamazaki's on it. I've been thinking about this, Toushi, and I need more spies than I have. You see, Zai is my little girl. I don't want anything to happen to her... And after this..." Tapping the notebook in his hand, Kondo shook his head.

"Yamazaki is going to look into Yoshi. I want another person to watch Zai; it's just to make sure she's okay. If there's somebody else behind this, then they might know about her..." Pausing, Kondo frowned at his desk. The man shifted his gaze, and motioned for Hijikata to sit at one of his chairs.  
"Close the door", he instructed, and Hijikata obliged. The vice commander took a seat in one of the armchairs across from Kondo. Whatever the man was about to say seemed serious.

"Toushi... When we got to the asylum, I kicked the door in, right?"  
Nodding, Hijikata murmured "yeah". Kondo paused once more before shaking his head.

"It was already open. The door was cracked when we got there..."

Frowning, Hijikata stared at the man. He waited to be told that it was a joke. The room grew tense, and the vice commander hoped that Kondo would laugh. No joy came. Nothing filled the silence of the room. Both men knew what the other was thinking.

"Why didn't you say anything? Don't you think that's sort of important?!" Finally finding his voice, Hijikata (unsuccessfully) tried to keep calm.  
"Well, yeah but I didn't think about it... I was more concerned with saving people... Last night I was going over the evidence in my head, and I remembered. It was too serious to focus on the door, at the time..." Another tense spell of silence fell over the room, and Hijikata leaned back in his chair. He pulled a cigarette from his coat, and fixed his gaze on Kondo. Even if it was important, he could understand. He probably would have overlooked something so seemingly small as well; especially in that situation.  
"Kikuno-San said she saw the door to the third floor close when she tried to leave..."  
Kondo glanced up at the man and a frown creased his brow.  
"Who?"  
"The woman!" Hijikata informed. Seriously, was it that hard to remember that she had a real name? Had everybody forgotten formalities?

"Oh..." A brief nod was offered, and the commander sighed. "I was thinking that Sougo should stay with her for a while; they seem pretty close. Yamazaki is going to look into Yoshi... But she might not want him to stay in her place... Hmm... Maybe I shouldn't tell her she's being watched. But fathers don't keep big secrets!" Pouting, Kondo locked his eyes to Hijikata's.

"You'll understand one day, Toushi... I should tell Sougo, I'm sure he'll be happy to hear the decision. He said he wanted to check out her class too... Not too sure what it is, but education is important, and I'll support her in any decision she makes!" A large grin curled Kondo's lips, and Hijikata blankly peered at him. How the hell did this turn into a talk about Muzai? And for Kondo to conclude that Sougo needed to stay with the woman... Hijikata could see it now.

Sougo would come home after a long day of work, and Muzai would already have a bath for him. She would probably cook, and clean... Even wash his uniforms and give the man a massage. The captain would respond in kind, in his own way that is. He would smack dinner off the table and make her clean it up. Sougo would demean Muzai as she sobbed and washed the rugs. Oh gosh, this was horrible.  
Then, Sougo would chain her up, and...

Uh, that sounded more like an abusive dom sub relationship... Nevertheless, Sougo couldn't live with Muzai.  
"He just needs to keep people from talking to her when she checks the mail..." Kondo was muttering something that sounded crazy. Hijikata didn't understand. As the commander stood up, and started towards the door, Hijikata stole a glance at his notepad. Sure enough, he found Muzai's half of the conversation. He only read one line, but it was enough to make Kondo's words make sense.

"I don't even want to go to the mailbox; for fear that someone would try to talk to me."

Sighing, Hijikata rolled his eyes. Big whoop. She can't talk, everybody got it. But Sougo spying on Muzai was indecent. What if the man peeked into her window while she was changing or did other dirty things? Telling Sougo to spy was like telling a sumo to only eat one rice ball.

"Sougo couldn't do something like that, uh..." Before Hijikata knew what he was doing, he had stood up and turned to face Kondo. The commander curiously stared at him over his shoulder, and Hijikata shifted his gaze.  
"If you tried to explain it to Sougo, he would think you were being indecent. Maybe we should just keep this between us..? I could do the job, and I won't let anyone know that you're keeping tabs on your... Uh, daughter." The moment the words escaped Hijikata, Kondo turned to face him.

"Really? Really Toushi? That's brilliant! I didn't even think of what Sougo would think!"  
"Yeah... Uh... You gave me the good explanation... The second is never as good as the first, you know?" Tightening his jaw, Hijikata finally lit the cigarette between his lips. Kondo seemed excited and commented on how Hijikata was right. All the vice commander could do was wonder what he had gotten himself into.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews :)**  
**(Duct tape for all, :D lol)**  
**This chapter and the next were written at work Lol.**


	21. Chapter 21

Happy Meadows Asylum. From the name alone, one would picture vibrant green grass. A tall white stone gate and building. A large smiley face, perhaps. Maybe even beautiful staff members; all happy to greet.

All of that is the exact opposite of what Hijikata found. He found a stone building that had next to no grass out front. Barbed wire and nothing that even remotely indicated happiness. The staff looked starved, and exhausted. Nothing about the place seemed joyful... If anything, the place looked as though dark clouds should be looming over it.

As the vice commander walked to the solid white receptionist desk he was met with a burly woman.  
"Can I help you?"  
Despite her appearance, her voice was oddly attractive. Scratching his head, Hijikata glanced over the off white walls, and scurrying staff members; all clad in green scrubs. The woman had an odd eye. One that remained partially closed. Squinting, Hijikata stared at it; waiting for it to do something. It didn't. The vice commander cleared his throat as the woman peered up at him.  
"Yes, I came to view the security tapes. I'm vice commander Hijikata; with the Shinsengumi. Today we're going to review the recordings for the investigation."

The woman stared at him and slowly nodded.  
"You can't." She stated her response in a kurt manner. It was so brief that Hijikata almost didn't realize what she was saying. Realization crossed him and he snapped his gaze to her. The man narrowed his eyes at the large woman; waiting for an explanation. When she offered none, he pursued it on his own.  
"What? And why is that?"  
"Don't you watch the news? There was a break in this morning; all of the tapes are gone."

Hijikata's jaw dropped, and he stared at the woman in disbelief. He didn't understand how that was even possible. She gave him the cold shoulder; as if nothing was wrong with what she had just told him. Of course, Hijikata found it hard to accept that. It was impossible for every single tape to be stolen!

"How the hell did that happen?! Don't you have staff here twenty-four hours a day?!"  
His raised voice was met with an eyebrow which mimicked his tone.  
"Yeah, so? You think we just sit around and watch the security room? That's what the security room is for- To watch _us_." The snarky remark only managed to further irritate Hijikata. One cannot be both ugly and rude; they had to pick a side, and this woman had clearly chosen ugly. He placed a hand to his head, and sighed. There had to be another way. A main control center of sorts. If something happened to this Happy Meadows, there had to be another place that kept watch over it. Over both the asylums.

Without a word, Hijikata turned around. He needed to do more research. Kondo needed to know what happened, and Muzai needed to go home.

* * *

After what had to be more than an hour of traffic, Hijikata found himself back at the Shinsengumi. The vice commander walked inside, and what he recognized to be a headache settled over him. How was he supposed to find another security center? Who would want to steal the tapes from Happy Meadows? Obviously, the guilty party had to be involved. The only reason for something like that to go missing would be to cover tracks; the real perp was out there.

Lighting a cigarette, Hijikata started towards his room. First, he would get rid of the distracting woman. Once that was done, he would be free to focus on the case. His room was empty; time to find Sougo. A while was spent walking around the grounds. It took some time, yet Hijikata finally heard the captain's voice. He seemed to be talking to someone; clearly Muzai.

"Maybe you should practice more..."  
And it sounded like the woman had told on Hijikata. Nervousness, and irritation mixed with the vice commander's headache, and he rounded the corner. He found Sougo to be talking to Yamazaki. They didn't even look at him.  
"But you know how Hijikata-San is about badminton. It's like I can never play anymore..."

The comment irritated the vice commander, yet he chose not to intervene. He had better things to do. Okay, maybe Kondo's office. Nodding, Hijikata turned back the way he had come from. The man walked down the hall, and glanced over the pristine wooden walls and floor. Hopefully, he could get this over with. Moments later, he was standing in Kondo's doorway. The commander was flipping through the book filled with patient information. A slight frown creased Hijikata's brow, and he tried to recall any place that Muzai might be.

"Oh, Toushi, you're back! So?" Immediately jumping to business, Kondo lowered the book to his desk.

"The tapes were stolen. We need to find another source." Hijikata's words received a gasp. Kondo frowned at him with wide eyes.  
"What?! Stolen?! How is that possible?! All of them?!"  
Nodding, the vice commander released a sigh. Kondo stared at the man as if he wanted to hear more, yet there was nothing more to tell.  
"Alright, we need to check the internet. Tell Yamazaki; so he can keep an eye on Yoshi.. Since that guy is a funder, he could have that sort of power. Sougo needs to go meet with Mori. You, there's paperwork waiting for you; new equipment, that sort of thing."

Nodding, Hijikata turned to do as instructed. With the new information on the asylum, Hijikata found that he needed to change his way of thinking. At the start of this case, he figured that the fire could have been an accident; the riot conditional. Hijikata thought that it was possible for the real killer to have perished by their own methods. As far as he had been concerned the doors had been tightly closed, but the entrance had been opened all along. That would indicate that at least one person had gotten away. It would also support the only suspect, or witness' claim- that she saw the third floor door close.

The fact that the tapes had been stolen proved that somebody was trying to cover their tracks; the events, their identity. If the door closed in front of the witness, the real perp had been on the third floor at some point. Either that or a doctor had fled the scene, maybe another patient. A patient could have caused the commotion; there would be plenty of motives, such as escape, revenge, even something as simple as insanity. Whatever the case, Hijikata needed to update his reports. He needed to speak with investigator Mori, and look for another security center.

To lose oneself in paperwork was always an easy way to sort through thoughts. The better half of the day was spent examining and approving budget cuts and raises. The vice commander went over the reports that had been filed earlier in the month, and week as well as exclusive files being from the fire itself. Time was spent looking up security companies. Somewhere between all this multitasking, he completely forgot anything he was supposed to do. The man's mind blanked as he focused on the task Kondo had assigned him.

* * *

Well into the night, Hijikata finished his work. .The papers he had reviewed were stacked into a neat pile on the edge of his desk; waiting for Kondo to pick them up in the morning. With nothing else to do Hijikata took a shower. The man dressed himself for bed, and returned to his room. As Hijikata unfolded the mattress, he realized that he hadn't cleaned it up that morning. It was strange to find his bed folded for him. Once finished, Hijikata sank between the sheets; eager to rest. Comfort filled his room, for some reason he felt as though he hadn't been had any the night before

Turning onto his back, Hijikata glanced over the dark room. A folded futon jogged his memory, and the man stared at it wide-eyed.

Wasn't there supposed to be a woman over there? He was supposed to give Muzai a ride home earlier... He hadn't even remembered to re-wrap the woman's wrists or ankles... Where was she? He had time now, he could spare a few minutes on her; as long as she didn't make it as painfully awkward as the scene in the hallway. Still, where was she? It was possible that she had caught a ride home with somebody else, but Kondo would have told him. There had to be another explanation.

Sougo. Oh god, she was sleeping with Sougo. Had to be...

Jumping out of his bed, Hijikata prepared to catch the captain in the middle of indecent activities. A scowl creased his brow as Hijikata stormed to the door. That woman was more trouble that she was worth. He knew it! He knew that Sougo had tainted her mind with his BDSM and carnal desires. But why had she kissed _him_? Frustration seeped throughout Hijikata's veins as he silently stalked to Sougo's room. The moment he reached the door, he wasted no time on knocking.

"Damn it Sougo!"  
Bursting into the room, Hijikata found the captain in bed; alone.

Sougo leaned up and peered at him through the darkness. The small amount of light behind him did not reveal his expression, yet Hijikata was positive it was a surprised frown.

"What?" His voice was completely innocent. Sougo was dumbfounded.  
"Are you too scared to sleep alone? You want to sleep with me?"

Narrowing his eyes, Hijikata stepped into the room.  
"Alone?"  
The words were met with a tilt of Sougo's head.  
"You took Zai-Chan home today, remember?"  
Silence fell over the room as the vice commander stared at Sougo's silhouette. His tense posture lessened, and the color drained from his face, though it wasn't visible. Sougo thought he had taken Muzai home? The vice commander was positive he would have remembered something like that. He hadn't spoken to the woman since earlier in the day.  
"Hijikata-San, you should get to bed; you sound crazy. If you don't sleep, you'll be easier to kill tomorrow." The captain laid back down as he spoke and Hijikata remained in place. He hadn't even _seen_ Muzai since the scene in the hallway.

Kondo had to know where the woman was. Had to. They were probably watching TV and eating ice cream again.

Turning around, Hijikata closed Sougo's door behind himself.

Moments later, he stood at Kondo's door. The commander could be heard snoring. That wasn't a good sign. He wouldn't sleep with a woman he called his daughter, right? Hijikata eased the door open, only to find Kondo alone. Shit... Yamazaki?

It didn't even take ten seconds for the vice commander to reach the spy's room. Once again; fast asleep, and alone.

Muzai was gone.

And there was a real killer on the loose. The actual murderer was roaming free, and Muzai had disappeared. She wasn't safe. For all he knew, she could have been taken by the real perpetrator. It was possible that at this very moment, Muzai was being silenced. Eternal silence. She would never write a note again, or grapple with Hijikata. He knew he hadn't taken her anywhere, and everybody assumed he had. The woman could be anywhere by now. How long ago had she disappeared? Questions swarmed Hijikata's mind, surrounded by a cloud of panic. He had to find her. Before it was too late. He hadn't learned enough about her yet. Why was she so flexible? Where did she learn to fight? What took away her voice?

He wouldn't be able to teach her how to use a sword.

No, he couldn't think like that right now. He had to find her.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you all for taking the time to review :)**  
**Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**  
**Where do you think she is? Lol**  
**It's probably kinda obvious, but still, it's fun to ask :3**


	22. Chapter 22

Nowhere. Muzai was nowhere on the grounds. Half an hour had been spent frantically roaming the halls. Multiple doors had been snatched open; rooms searched. The training room, kitchen, cafeteria; all empty. Occupied bathrooms only held stray officers that needed a late night bought of relief. Guest rooms were uninhabited. The TV was off. The yard surrounding the Shinsengumi only had occasional patrols. Without a doubt; the woman was gone.

With no idea of what to do, Hijikata turned back towards the main building. Swarmed by multiple scenarios and outcomes, the vice commander hurried back inside. He couldn't possibly tell Kondo that he had lost his daughter. She was gone, and everybody had assumed Hijikata had taken her home. Telling anybody was out of the question. He had to find her himself.

Rushing to his office, Hijikata tried to guess how long she had been gone. He opened his computer, and ran Muzai's information as quickly as possible. The moment the woman's address popped onto the screen, he wrote it down. If she wasn't at the Shinsengumi, that was the last place for her to be. At least, the last place that she would be if she wasn't in the process of being tortured or brutally killed. How could nobody notice that she disappeared? Was Hijikata the only one that actually paid her any attention? Something like this shouldn't be happening, everybody seemed to be so close to her; with their nicknames and jokes and whatnot.

After throwing his clothes on, Hijikata jumped into his car. A quarter of an hour was spent speeding through traffic and smoking cigarettes like a mad man. The address from the database led him to an impossibly large apartment structure. Turning his car off, the vice commander pulled his notebook from his coat. He flipped past previous conversations with Muzai; to the page he had written her apartment number. After noting the combination of numbers and the letter of her floor, Hijikata started towards the building.

* * *

It appeared to be an upscale place. More so than he had expected. When he reached the door, he found an intercom system. He didn't have a code. The man contemplated pressing the number sequence to Muzai's apartment, yet before he could, another man walked up and mashed a few buttons. Apparently, he lived there. Hijikata caught the door behind the man, and was met with lush blue carpets and cream colored walls. The vice commander walked through the lobby, past a few sofas that he assumed was for waiting. He boarded an elevator, and pressed the button to the L floor. Anticipation built within him as he drummed his fingers along his notepad. When the metal doors finally opened, Hijikata started down the long stretch of hall before him. The same color scheme as the lobby was used in the hall, and Hijikata glanced at each door as he passed.

_312  
314  
316_

And there it was. Two doors down, on the right side of the hall; 320.  
Suddenly nervous, Hijikata stopped in front of the door. He hesitated, and confirmed the address with a glance at his notebook. The man finally knocked, and he was met with a melodic voice.

"Sachiko? Hold on- I'm coming!"  
As he heard the woman's voice, Hijikata shook his head. Wrong apartment. Her information had been wrong.

"Did you remember the bottle? And that movie; you got the one I asked for, right?" The vice commander was ready to walk away. This was completely wrong. Now what? Where could he possibly search for Muzai? He didn't know where she lived, or what she drove. He didn't know how long ago she had disappeared.

"You finally remembered my code? For once, I didn't have to buzz you up! It's about time!"  
It was time for more drastic measures; something like an amber alert, or actually telling Kondo. The lock snapped, and the door started to open, as the woman continued.

"I haven't set up yet, but-"  
The moment the door was pulled open, both parties froze. In the doorway stood Muzai, casually dressed in black shorts and a green tank top. The woman held a glass of what Hijikata assumed to be alcohol in one hand. Her wrists and ankles had been uncovered, and she shamelessly sported the lingering dark bruises. Hijikata frowned in confusion as he was met with wide hazel eyes. Neither moved, or said a word. Muzai's lips slightly parted, and she appeared to be shaken up. Before Hijikata could even attempt to speak, she slammed the door in his face.

Snapped out of the dumbfounded spell, the vice commander scowled. All of that panic for nothing! He had spent his time searching, and worrying, only to find the woman at her house getting drunk! Talk about a waste of time!

Placing his hands on the door, Hijikata pounded on the solid structure with his fist. Anger surged within the man as he demanded Muzai let him in. He was unaware of the fact that she had left the door unlocked, and was currently leaning against it; wondering what she should do. The vice commander was raising hell in the hallway, and the last thing she wanted was to face him.

"Kikuno- Open the damn door!"

Oh god, he even addressed her by her surname. How the hell had she rationalized kissing him? The door rattled against her back, and she hoped that her father couldn't hear the commotion. Of course, she knew that somewhere in the back of the house, the man was probably internally panicking. Beside the woman, a small wall panel buzzed, and she knew her friend had arrived. She pressed the button to open the lobby door, and decided that she needed to check her father. All this noise had probably given him a heart attack.

In the hallway, the vice commander continued to yell at the woman.  
"How the hell did you get here?! OI! I know you hear me! Did you just walk out?! You just walked away?!" Minutes passed, and things remained the same. When Muzai refused to answer him a loud sigh parted the man's lips. She wasn't coming back to the door. He knew he should be glad that she wasn't in danger, and while a part of him was relieved, he was undeniably irritated. The least she could have done was tell somebody! Placing a hand to his head, Hijikata glared at the door. It would probably be frowned upon to break it down...

"Kikuno, get out here! Just give me a minute-"  
"Hey man, chill..."  
Turning to peer at the oddly calm voice, Hijikata found a hippie. He frowned at the woman as she walked to his side. She was clothed in tans and brown. A lace over jacket barely clung to the edges of her shoulders and threatened to slip at any moment. Her hair was swept into a side ponytail of what appeared to be some sort of braids or dreads; wrapped in a string-like material. A few of the bunches were colored a dull yet bright blue, and contrasted the woman's copper blonde locks.

Side bangs swept towards the large up do, and two silver round nubs rested below and above the middle of the woman's lower lip. Deep brown eyes met Hijikata's steely blue irises as the woman walked to the door beside him. She peered up at him the whole time with a calmly raised eyebrow. A reusable cloth bag was supported in one hand, and swayed as she moved.

"She doesn't want whatever you're trying to sell. You're probably scaring her..."

Narrowing his eyes, Hijikata tightened his jaw.  
"I'm not selling anything! Do I look like a sales man to you?!"

The woman flicked her eyes over him, and tilted her head. She was short; only standing about as tall as Hijikata's chest.

"Oh... You're the..? I didn't order a cop though. I specifically asked for the Natural Package. You know; innocent anarchist type thing... This is the exact opposite. You could have at least put on a fireman costume or something... That way she could say 'You're not here to put out a fire at all', and we could all laugh. I'm calling your company, this is-"  
"What the hell are you talking about?! You didn't hire me!" Snapping the words, the vice commander tried to make sense of whatever the woman was babbling on about.

"Tell me about it! If I wanted a cheesy Shinsengumi officer I could have reported a crime or something. The real ones are bad enough. Is that uniform easy to remove, at least? Could you take it off while you're dancing or something? She's had a tough few months, and I kinda wanted to surprise her, but you shady companies never do these things right."

A frown creased Hijikata's brow and he blankly peered at the woman. What did this have to do with removing his uniform? Why would he be dancing, or take it off at all? The woman continued to talk, and it started to make sense. Ever so slowly, two and two were connected. She thought he was a stripper. And she had insulted the Shinsengumi. Between this idiot that spoke too much, and the idiot that didn't speak at all, it felt as though steam was rising from Hijikata's head.

"What with her boyfriend and all that, but I'm sure the company told you. Just make sure you take her mind off things. You should do one of those split things too. Attack her with your balls! Pretend that her face is on fire, and the only way to help is to pat it out with your balls!"

Hijikata's jaw dropped at the casually stated, lewd command. The man maintained his icy expression, and he found himself unsure of how to respond. Who said things like that? How could this woman say that Muzai had a boyfriend, and then tell another man to attack her with his balls? it just didn't make sense! And he would do no such thing!

"I- Wh- What the hell are you- Why would I- I'm not a-" Bright red, the vice commander tried to form some sort of rebuttal. Something that would convey the fact that he was not hired to take his clothes off. That he had no idea what this strange hippie was talking about. Instead, he found himself lost in a fit of coughing. He needed to quit smoking. But he needed a cigarette far more.

The strange woman beside him placed a hand on the doorknob, and pushed the door open; no key. Seriously? It had been unlocked this whole time? She grabbed Hijikata's sleeve and pulled him inside.

* * *

"Zai, I have a surprise for you!" She called through the apartment, but Hijikata found himself far too engrossed in the decor. It wasn't the largest place in the world, but it had clearly taken some time and money to make it what it was. The vice commander was met with wooden floors, and tan brick walls. Chocolate brown accented the room, and warmed the sight. A small kitchen was open to the living room, and appliances were clearly hidden behind brown panels. Stairs led to an open second floor over the kitchen, and a large window trailed alongside the change of height in panels. A hallway started beside the kitchen and dim light could be seen radiating from the depths of the dark area.

"I'm not a stripper!" Finding his voice, Hijikata growled the words and snatched away from the mini hippie. Hurried footsteps could be heard, but the moment Muzai came into sight, she turned around and placed a hand to her head.  
"Oh, god; you let him in..."

The groaned words were met with a raise of Hijikata's eyebrow, and the woman beside him peered up at him. She pointed at him, and a slight frown creased her brow.  
"Him? You know the stripper? Was he a friend of-"  
"Don't say that name!" Muzai snapped her gaze to her friend, and the vice commander remained in place. She was freely speaking, and sounded nothing like what he had imagined. As first, he thought her voice would be a low and breathy, at best. She had an actual, solid tone; stronger than he had guessed.

"I'm not a stripper!" Hijikata repeated, and both women peered at him. Muzai turned around, and placed her hands over her mouth and nose as if it would hide her voice, yet at the same time, the comfort of her own home seemed to have the opposite effect.

"Get out... Get out! Go away!"

Scowling, Hijikata clenched his fists. He hadn't jumped out of bed and rushed to find her for this. How dare she make him trail behind her, only to try to kick him out of her apartment?

"No! What the hell!? You just take off without telling anyone?!"

Shaking her head, Muzai disregarded Hijikata's question.  
"Sachiko, make him leave! Why would you let him in here?! He terrified Daddy!"

The woman beside Hijikata peered up at him, and poked his bicep.  
"Yeah? So he's a real cop? Wow... They'll let anyone join the Shinsengumi these days... And he smells like cigarettes..."

Glaring down at the short woman, Hijikata moved away from her outstretched finger. The man released a loud sigh, and tried to think of what to say. Obviously, Muzai didn't want to see him, and her idiot of a friend was annoying him with all of her sly insults. Muzai started towards the two, and stopped in front of Hijikata. The glass she had been holding had been abandoned at some point. She peered up at the man, and her uneasiness was apparent.

Instead of offering any words, Muzai pulled the cloth bag from her friend's hand. Her eyes never left Hijikata's as she gripped what appeared to be an oddly shaped bottle of red wine, and allowed the bag to fall to the floor. A small loop on the neck of the smooth rectangular bottle was used to support it in one hand, but Muzai raised the bottle to her chest, and tightly held onto it with both. Hijikata caught a glimpse of what appeared to be decorative bugs on the bottle; all red.

"I asked for white. And you forgot the movie." Muzai stated; clearly speaking to her friend.  
"Oh, I know! Red is healthier though. It's organic!" Giggling, Sachiko walked to the staircase, and sprinted to the second floor. A low thump signified that she had dropped her purse, and the woman dashed down the stairs. She started to wander the apartment; making herself at home. Sachiko started down the hallway and informed the pair that she was going to say hi to Muzai's father and get ready for practice; whatever the hell that meant.

The entire time, Muzai and Hijikata did nothing but stare at one another. It was as if they expected the other to speak. Maybe the vice commander did, he was already startled to find the woman speaking and wanted to hear more. Of course, she didn't. She simply stared up at him; donning a slight frown. Pushing himself to say something, Hijikata felt his lips part. The woman's gaze lowered to said lips, yet she immediately looked away.

"Get out." Briefly muttering the words, Muzai turned away. She started towards the kitchen, and Hijikata trailed behind her. The man couldn't help but voice his anxiety.

"What are you doing here?!"

Biting her lower lip, Muzai scowled at the cream hued countertops. She placed the bottle of wine down, and opened a drawer to find a corkscrew as she peered at Hijikata.

"Me? What are _you_ doing here? I _live_ here."

The man halted a meter away as Muzai located a bottle opener. He sighed as she flipped out the spiral edge of the corkscrew, and pulled the foil cover from the mouth of the bottle.

"I was supposed to give you a ride... You can't just take off, and not tell anyone where you're going, or when! Look, if you really had nothing to do with what happened at that place, you need to be more careful. You think that killers just let witnesses roam free? You think the real person behind this wouldn't mind you surviving, and going about your life as if nothing ever happened?"

The vice commander's words earned a slight glance, and Muzai paused. She had managed to twist the screw half way into the cork, yet left it unattended as she peered at him from the corners of her eyes. The woman placed her hands on the counter, and slightly leaned back as she locked her gaze to his.

"Were you worried?"

Scoffing at the question, Hijikata shook his head.  
"As if." Sarcasm laced the words, and Muzai's curiosity dulled into annoyance. She rolled her eyes, and set to removing the cork from the wine bottle. The vice commander watched as she tugged at the cork, to no avail. A few painfully unsuccessful attempts later, a low sigh escaped him.

"You're doing it wrong." He informed, and Muzai narrowed her eyes at him. The expression was ignored, as the man gently pulled the bottle away from her. He flipped the lever of the opener down, and positioned it on the mouth of the bottle. Muzai watched as Hijikata pulled the opposite end of the opener upward, and the cork easily slid out of the bottle. Hijikata laid the opener on the counter as he returned his gaze to the woman. She was staring at the countertop, still uncomfortable, and possibly hostile.

Without a word, she moved to grab a glass from a cabinet. The woman turned back to the island area of the counter, and Hijikata studied her as she poured the wine to the halfway mark of the glass. As Muzai took her first sip of the new wine, Hijikata sighed. She paid him no mind, and opted to stare into the living room.

"You've been talking."  
The random statement earned a dry snort of amusement.  
"I've been drinking." Muzai turned to peer at Hijikata, only to find the man propping a cigarette between his lips. Without thinking about it, she snatched the cancer stick away. Hijikata frowned down at the woman with wide eyes. He offered no response before attempting to snatch his cigarette back. After all the excitement he deserved one; she had no right to stop him.

Muzai ensured that he narrowly missed the smoke with every swipe of his hand.  
"What the hell?! Why the-"  
"No! Not in here!"

Hijikata leaned forward to wrestle his cigarette away, yet Muzai moved backwards. He knew she had a habit of running. He wouldn't let her get away so easily. As the woman turned, he grasped her arm and pulled her back. Of course, Muzai had no chance in opposing him; he hadn't become the vice commander by sitting on his ass all day and eating cheese puffs.

Hijikata managed to tug the woman closer, yet she continued to try to wiggle free of his grasp. She held the cigarette as far away as possible; which only managed to further annoy Hijikata. He had to reach his smoke. They were too expensive to let her waste another. With one quick motion he had her pinned against the countertop with his body. Muzai continued to try to keep his cigarette far away.  
"You might as well give up! You know you can't win!"  
"Then why am I?!" Muzai's response only made the vice commander try harder. When he pushed her farther in the opposite direction in an attempt at finally snagging the cigarette, Muzai's warning brought him to a standstill.

"Stop or I'll break it!"  
Snapping his gaze to Muzai, the vice commander narrowed his eyes.  
"You wouldn't..." It sounded like a challenge. Muzai held the man's gaze with an equally competitive stare, and he knew she was serious.

The man stepped down. He wanted his cigarette. When his posture relaxed, Muzai slowly crossed her arms, and offered the stick back. A second was spent, studying the gesture, before Hijikata reached for it. As he did, his eyes remained on Muzai's. She seemed completely different, now that he could hear her for himself.

When the man took hold of the cancer stick, Muzai released it. He set it on the counter, aware of the lack of space between them once more. It kept happening. Everything would be normal, and he would continuously find himself too close to her. After the panic of her disappearance, he had been thinking. He hadn't properly responded to her unexpected kiss. If ever there was a time to do so, it would be now. They were alone; nobody would see them.

His hand had remained on the counter, blocking her on one side. Muzai was still watching him; possibly thinking the same thing. With a single slow motion, Hijikata brought his free hand to her jaw. A slight frown creased the woman's brow, yet she remained in place.  
"Earlier..." The word was enough to reveal his intentions as the vice commander inched towards her. He stepped against Muzai once more, and his thumb traced over her lower lip.

The woman lowered her chin and seemed to sink into herself as if she had no idea of what to do. Hair fell into her eyes, and Hijikata released his cigarette to lift her jaw. His hand slipped up the nape of her neck, and he found himself mere centimeters away from her lips. Heat seemed to radiate between the two, as each paused. At some point, Muzai had placed a hand on Hijikata's chest. Her other remained on the counter; out of sight.

"Wait- Don't..." Muzai's voice opened Hijikata's eyes, and he found the woman staring up at him. He remained in place, contemplating the unforeseen reaction.  
"I don't do this sort of thing. L- Leave me alone..." Her words earned a slight smirk, yet the vice commander didn't move.  
"Neither do I..." He murmured his response, and Muzai leaned away. The scrape of metal caught Hijikata's attention, and he halted as Muzai pointed a small knife towards his throat. That was somewhat drastic. Okay, that sort of changed things; not much, but still... A moment of hesitation passed, and Hijikata retracted one hand to grip her wrist.  
"I didn't stab you when _you_ kissed _me_. That's cheating..." The man slowly pushed the blade away, and found that Muzai's response was clearly intended to frighten him. After having to stab, cut, and shoot people for a living, Hijikata was unfazed.

"I didn't- It wasn't like that... It was just, a mistake... I didn't mean for that-"  
"This is a mistake too..." The vice commander cut Muzai off, and firmly held her hand against the counter. As his gunmetal blue eyes locked to her hazel irises, she felt herself untense. It was clear that Hijikata had done the same. He pulled her back, and the woman tilted her head. Their lips nearly brushed together, and Hijikata felt Muzai's grip on the knife loosen. As the two started to bridge the nearly non-existent distance a loud knock on the door interrupted them. Both awkwardly peered towards the entrance.

Without a word, the pair quickly moved away from the other and glanced in opposite directions. The ghost of Muzai's touch lingered on the vice commander's chest; as did his hands on her.

She started towards the door, only to be bothered by Hijikata. The man quickly moved to her side, and placed a hand on her shoulder.  
"Oi, don't let him in."

Frowning, Muzai glanced at him over her shoulder. The woman shrugged his hand away, yet he persisted.  
"Listen to me; I'm not gonna let him attack your face with his balls!"  
The woman paused, and fixed her gaze on him over her shoulder. She was obviously confused, and appalled by his words.

"Woo! He's here! Zai, open the door!" Almost out of nowhere, a familiar annoying voice added to the shattered moment. As Muzai's friend reached the edge of the hallway, the woman tore her gaze from Hijikata. An awkward expression had taken the vice commander, and he shook his head to correct himself.  
"Uh, I didn't say that- She did." He motioned to Sachiko, and Muzai sighed. The woman moved to the door, and pulled it open to reveal a man delivering a bag of food. She turned to peer at the vice commander and raised an eyebrow. With a low, conflicted tone, she murmured a clear command.

"Get out. Go home."

* * *

**A/N: Apparently, the last chapter was more suspenseful than I thought :3 Haha**  
**To make up for it, this chapter was long, a sort of double chapter, so to speak.**

**Rainbowskies- I'm so thrilled to know that you like this story :) And I too find Kondo to be cute with his insanity lol. Gotta admit, sometimes it's hard to think of crazy things for him to do, but it's so worth it Hahaha**

**So,;hope everybody enjoyed that near kiss. What did you think of this chapt? Lol**  
**Thank you all for your reviews :)**


	23. Chapter 23

After what turned out to be a night of minimum sleep, Hijikata went about his daily tasks. Morning practice was as orderly and structured as it should be; nothing like the day before. Once every early chore was finished, it was ten in the morning. Hijikata figured it would be best to search for security companies. He had to find back-up tapes. The vice commander spent half an hour researching, and writing the names of companies in his notepad. He found phone numbers to the companies, as well as the business code for Happy Meadows. Each establishment had a registered arrangement of numbers and letters that made up their official business name. The title of the establishment was just that; a title, presented to the public, and legally claimed.

As Hijikata reviewed his findings, a slight knock caught his attention. The vice commander glanced at the door as it slowly opened and Kondo walked in.  
"Toushi! Great job on the reports! I reviewed them, and you're right, the animal funeral fund could use a bit of a cutback..."

Raising an eyebrow, Hijikata nodded. Yeah, it wasn't like anybody at the Shinsengumi had pets, that was just some random charity Kondo picked up because he saw a little girl crying over a dead turtle. The commander walked to Hijikata's desk, and sat on the edge of it. He crossed his arms and offered a wide grin, which hinted the Hijikata wouldn't be able to finish his research.

"So, Yamazaki is going to meet with Yoshi today. Sougo and Mori are breaking the news to the families, and checking out the DNA results. They've identified a few more people, and over fifty are being analyzed right now, isn't that amazing?"

Placing his notebook on his desk, Hijikata nodded in agreement.  
"Yeah, they're pretty fast." He commented, and Kondo offered a nod.

"Are you going to check on Zai today? I've been kinda worried since you took her home yesterday..."

Gazing at the commander, Hijikata tried to think of the proper response. Most likely, Muzai wouldn't want to see him; especially after that odd, kiss-like scene from the night before. Even when she was intoxicated, she didn't want to kiss him. While that was ridiculous, seeing as to how she had done it sober, Hijikata knew it was probably best to leave the woman alone. Shifting his gaze, the vice commander placed his jaw on his open palm. He leaned into his desk; thinking.

"Sougo said this was one of her class days, so she should be easy to find. He even knows where her class is. He said it's the place she got her ticket; we have it in the system. Maybe you could learn something while you're there! Ooh, I know! You should enroll, and you two can study together! That way, you'll always know what's going on with her!"

As the commander spoke, Hijikata flicked his eyes to him.  
"I'm not signing up for school." The calmly stated line was met with a tilt of Kondo's head. A slight pout took the commander, and he gazed at Hijikata with what appeared to be big puppy eyes.  
"Aww, you're no fun..."

Hijikata had already volunteered himself, and Kondo seemed so happy about it. The commander would probably be crushed if Hijikata went back on his word now. Kondo pulled his notepad from his coat, and flipped through the pages. He pulled a sheet from the book, and placed it on the desk in front of Hijikata.

"Alright, I've got to go see my love; Muzai's gonna be thrilled to meet her mother one day! You know hers ran away, so Otae-Chan is just what she needs!"

Frowning at Kondo, Hijikata remained silent. Really, he couldn't just say he didn't want to do it anymore. He couldn't tell Kondo to give Sougo the job. In all actuality, Hijikata still didn't want Sougo to spy on Muzai. Where was Yamazaki when he was needed? It was possible to ask that he and Yamazaki switched jobs; Hijikata wouldn't mind trailing behind some self-important bastard that probably thought he was too good to be caught. He would do a good job interrogating, investigating, and getting the man to talk. The only person that could have gotten those security tapes, and walked away without it being a big scene or deal would be him.

And why did everybody know more about Muzai than Hijikata? No, he hadn't spent much time with her like they had, but still; not cool. It was like she just blabbed about her life, and told other people all the exclusive bits and pieces. Like she made a puzzle, which could only be solved when everybody came together and shared their bit.

Everybody knew she cared for her father, yet she had never mentioned her mother to Hijikata. Then again, she didn't mention much to him. It would make sense for the "father figure" to ask about her home life. While Hijikata was considering his options, Kondo stood up. The man started to the door; oblivious to Hijikata's reluctance.

"Thanks Toushi! Make sure you take notes, and tell her to come by some time!"

Not even a second later, the door was closed.  
Shit.  
Hijikata hadn't even protested once! He'd spent his time thinking about saying no, but never got around to it. Tightening his jaw, he wished he had a better job. Something, anything different. The paper Kondo had placed on his desk had two addresses; one to Muzai's apartment, and the other was assumed to be her class. Great. Now Hijikata had to spend a day listening to a boring lecture, and watching students take notes. Just perfect. Because there was nothing better to do; clearly, watching some stupid woman was the best thing for the Shinsengumi to focus on.

With nothing else to do, Hijikata decided to go along with the annoying task. One day, and one day only. He would not keep tabs on Muzai; suspect or not. Every time he tried to do something, that woman got in the way. It could be as simple as sleeping to a complex task like trying to solve a mystery; she always found a way to delay Hijikata's progress. The man took his notepad, and closed his computer as he stood up. He grabbed the sheet of paper Kondo had left him, and started from his office.

* * *

Once Hijikata got outside, he found reporters at the front gate of the Shinsengumi. And so it starts. Great; camera dodging, following an annoying woman, and trying to find backup tapes. To top that off, Hijikata wanted to point out the fact that if he simply walked into Muzai's class, and told her Kondo wanted her to stop by, that wasn't exactly spying. That was practically telling her she was being watched; the opposite of spying. Still, he would do as Kondo said. Until he could pass it on to Yamazaki, that is.

The vice commander ducked into the garage, and stepped into his patrol car. Hopefully, the men at the gate were doing a good job of stalling the news crew. Hijikata started his car, and pulled down the drive way. If he was right, it was possible that people were waiting to see cars leaving. Reporters were known to be sneaky bastards. As he pulled to the edge of the driveway, Hijikata watched the gate lift. Attention had most likely been drawn. The moment he realized the road was clear he darted onto the street. The man sped past the news crew, and as he expected; two cars pulled out behind him.

Glancing at the rear view mirror, Hijikata sighed. This was more trouble than it was worth. At least there was some sort of excitement involved in his job; even if it was just dodging the news. Accelerating, Hijikata made a sharp left turn. Determination did not matter at this particular moment; he had been trained to drive like a maniac and still be safe. Reporters on the other hand...

* * *

It had only taken about five minutes to lose the news van. Ten later, and Hijikata was parked in front of the supposed class Muzai was taking._ Fatale Fitness; _That didn't sound like a class at all. If anything, it just looked like a gym. So Hijikata was going to sit through a yoga class, or some sort of aerobics lesson? Well, that wasn't as bad as a lecture, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to see a group of people contorting their body in unnatural ways. Then again, that would explain Muzai's flexibility. Nevertheless, he didn't need any sort of demonstration of such, he understood. It didn't matter; not one bit. Yeah, she was just flexible. So what? Next subject.

It wouldn't be a crime to wait in his car, would it? However, he hadn't brought his computer, he couldn't even go through the case files. With nothing better to do, Hijikata forced himself out of his car. This was ridiculous. Why did he have to do this? There had to be somebody else for this job. Not Sougo, somebody that had no dirty thoughts, and would never overstep clear boundaries. That kind of person.

As Hijikata approached the solid black doors of the gym, he was met with the pulse of music. He hadn't heard it in his car, but it was clearly loud enough to write a ticket for. The man felt exasperation escape him in the form of a sigh. Might as well get it over with... Pushing the door open, Hijikata eased his way into the room. His eyes were focused on the slight step into a genkan, and the man closed the door behind himself. When he looked up, he froze in place.

This wasn't yoga at all. Not even remotely similar. What the hell had he just walked in on? Apparently, the door had been too quiet to notice. Everybody in side was standing around a pole; watching somebody dance. A_ POLE_, like _STRIPPER. _As in Kondo's daughter is a stripper! Holy crap- what the fuck?! What could Hijikata possibly say to the commander about this?

Kondo had been so proud to hear that Muzai was pursuing her education, but in a matter of minutes, that image had turned from her sitting at a school desk wearing glasses and a white button up to her removing clothes for money! This was wrong! And everybody seemed so happy about it! Around the pole, a group of barely clad women cheered, and pumped their fists into the air.

Hijikata didn't see Muzai, it was unlikely that she would be in the middle of that crowd. maybe he had gotten the wrong place. Maybe there was a yoga section, or basket weaving; something other than a shaded room full of poles and covered in mirrors. The group wasn't large, there were about ten women over all; all dressed in panties and sports bras. And Hijikata needed to look away, this defied all laws of decency! Since when was it okay for a group of barely-clad women to meet up and dance on poles? Muzai was far too shy to do something like this.

Hijikata watched as a woman pulled her way up the pole, and swirled around with one leg out. Who were these strange beings, and why were they doing such dirty things?! He didn't know if he should leave, or ask about aerobics. Before his eyes, an obviously practiced routine unfolded; accompanied with arches of the woman's back, hair flipping, and other unspeakably raunchy looking techniques. Oh god, what was happening? He just had to ask. He needed to find somebody, quickly, and leave.

As the woman slid down the pole, she laughed, and stepped aside. Another woman that had been standing with her back to Hijikata walked to the pole, and placed a hand on it. The movement left a slight gap for the vice commander to watch through, and he did just that. He was positive that blood was about to gush from his nose at any second. All the man had done was gawk from the doorway; he hadn't even removed his shoes.

The woman wore a black swimsuit, which appeared to be a two-piece. Once he saw her, he found a small strip of material connecting the top and bottom; just across her navel. She held her finger up to the girls, and they all giggled as she drummed her fingers along the pole. The entire time, she stood as if she was ready to begin, on the balls of her feet, with one foot forward; her knee bent.

It became apparent that she was waiting for another song. A very familiar short girl with blonde dreads came into view, gyrating her hips as the woman watched. The crowd laughed as the hippie danced to the woman, turned around and popped her, uh, hindquarters towards the woman while dipping her back. In response, the other woman promptly smacked the offered rear. The hippie snapped straight and covered her hindquarters.

Oh god, the hippie was there. It couldn't be... Hijikata was not looking at Muzai, right? There was no way the woman would do something like this. No way. The song reached an end, and the woman held her hand in the air. She started to slowly dance to the silence, yet immediately turned to grin at the surrounding group. They offered cheers and laughs of encouragement. When she snapped her gaze behind her, Hijikata noted that her hair was the right length. Still, he didn't believe it.

A low, middle eastern sounding tune started, and the group fell silent as the woman by the pole corrected her form. She started to circle the pole and Hijikata intensely watched. This didn't seem as bad as he had assumed. Just a group of women having fun and dancing. On a pole. They were too good for ground dancing, apparently.

The woman swayed her hips from side to side, and Hijikata was positive that the motion wouldn't be so amazing if she had clothes on... But it might have been... Probably... Not the point, he was looking for Muzai. If what he had already witness wasn't bad enough, the woman was all hips at the moment; holding the pole, and dipping with the beat. Doing generally unacceptable things. She straightened herself, somewhat. In a horrible, arched-back, protruding hips sort of way. The motion immediately turned into her raising one leg against the pole, snapping her hair back, and stepping to the ground. Despite the motions, they were carried through with grace, which was a horrendous thing to accompany such actions with.

What was Hijikata supposed to be doing? Was that blood, trickling down his face? There had to be something more to this, something he had come here for... Other than standing in the shadow of the doorway; dazed and enchantingly confused.

Actual pole dancing started to come into play when the woman circled and twirled around it. Her hand never released the pole. She appeared to be lost behind her hair, in her own little world. With one fluid motion in the form of an outstretch leg, she effortlessly hoisted herself onto the pole. Her legs gripped the metal, and after twirling around it, with a slight pop of her hips, she had raised herself higher. She leaned backwards, and her shoulder length hair flowed behind her as she flipped it to the side, and placed a hand over the one that gripped the pole.

The music seemed to kick with her every motion. Or was it the other way around? Hijikata wasn't entirely sure. He knew there was something for him to do. Something other than steal a free peep show. Still, he was too engrossed in the dance as the woman released the pole with her legs, circled around, then easily brought her legs over her head. Upside down, she continued. Apparently, the possibility of falling on one's head is not alarming. A single thigh held onto the metal as she place one foot on the pole and practically stood on it; no hands and still spinning.

The girls around her clapped, and excitement buzzed through them. The woman immediately gripped the pole, positioned herself practically straight so it was between her legs and grabbed the support with one hand under, or behind her. Guess it depended on perception. Again, she received praise, and Hijikata almost jumped when she slid to the ground, still upside down. Nevertheless, that was apparently normal. The woman managed to correct herself, though it was intentional and graceful. The moment her feet touched the ground, she continued to dance on the balls of her feet. With her back to the pole, she rolled with the music. A single hand gripped the metal over her, and she lowered to the ground with one twist.

So maybe they weren't too good for ground dancing. That whole 'arching her back while she laid on it' seemed pretty ground-dance-like to Hijikata. She rolled over, and her hair swung as she sat between her legs, and stretched onto the floor.

Covering his nose, Hijikata turned away. So much sexual tension and so many motions. What was he here for?! That was Muzai. That was really Muzai. Doing all of that! In front of people! Moving her hips like... Like it was... Oh god, what was she doing?! What was he supposed to do?! With one leg bent, and her crawling to the pole like that- She was some sort of seductress! And he was... Being unintentionally enticed. Shit, she didn't even know he was there. Most likely, she wouldn't do something like that in front of him.

Hijikata watched as the woman hoisted herself onto the pole once more, and he knew he had to stop her. Non-negotiable. She had to stop. The man wiped his face with his sleeve and his hand on his pants, which were unbearably tight. He couldn't just step into the lighter area with that going on down there! When had that started? Probably the moment this new song came on... The vice commander took a deep breath, and tried to discourage the lower half of his body. He could handle himself. He had this all under control. Really. It didn't matter if sweat was starting to form on the back of his neck, or his mouth had grown dry. He just needed to ignore the woman spinning around a pole as if it she was a shark, and it her prey, which she wanted to take to a more intimate, private place.

Then Hijikata caught sight of a small cooler. It was open, and filled with ice. Bottled water poked over the edge of it, and the vice commander knew what he had to do. The music covered him as he reached from the shadows and pulled a water back to his side. He twisted the top off, downed what had to be more than half of it, and shoved the cold bottle into his pocket. That ought to do the trick. Over a minute later, he knew he was ready. As ready as he could possibly be. Not like it was completely going down, he had to live with a half ready, half freezing Johnson. He had managed to focus on the wall, as opposed to the idiot on the pole. The water in his pocket reassured him with its icy touch that he was ready to step into the light.

* * *

Muzai was still in the middle of her provocative rhythmic world of perverse intentions when Hijikata slipped out of his shoes and approached the group. A few women turned to peer at him, yet he ignored their curious frowns.

_"Kikuno!" _  
The moment Muzai heard her name (especially in that tone), she jumped in surprise and lost her grip. While Hijikata was thankful she hadn't been upside down, he realized that it probably wasn't best to startle her while she was leaning back, and only holding on with one hand. The woman dropped to the ground, and the crowd fell silent as she landed on her ass. Hijikata walked into the small gap in the women unfazed by the sight of Muzai's cringe. The woman leaned back onto one hand, and placed the other to her head in what appeared to be annoyance, possibly irritation. She didn't seem to be happy that he had caused her to fall.

Sachiko moved to Muzai's side, and the music stopped. Hijikata wasn't sure who was controlling it, yet didn't care. He glared down at Muzai, as if he had a reason to be angered by her.

"You alright? That looked like it hurt..."

Gazing up at her friend, Muzai nodded. The short woman helped her up, and attention focused on Hijikata. Muzai glared at him and crossed her arms. The other women were staring at him as well. Shit, now he had nothing to say. He hadn't thought of what he would say, just rushed right in. It was probably not a good idea to be honest. He couldn't possibly just say 'Hey, uh, could you stop doing that thing with your hips and back..? And I'd appreciate it if you never touched that pole again. It's not very humane, you see. It causes pressure to build in my nether regions and we don't want that, now do we?'. Yeah, nothing like that could be said.

"Look, he's got a water in his pocket!" A light giggle interrupted the vice commander's thoughts and soon the other girl's joined in. Except for Muzai, of course. She was completely serious, and still glaring at him as the other women swarmed the man.

"Did you like that dance?"  
"I'll dance for you!"  
"So handsome! He's a _real_ member of the Shinsengumi!"  
"You should come to our classes; protect us from perverts!"

Hijikata could do nothing but stare at the multiple women. He was lost in a sea of blonde and black; unable to escape. If he was peanut butter, they were attempting to be jam. Or maybe it was bread, whatever they were trying to accomplish, Hijikata could do nothing but try to avoid the many hands that reached out to grab him.  
"Isn't he the vice commander?!"  
"I think he is!"  
"Has to be!"

He was being sucked into the undertow. Hands were gripping weird places. His uniform was being tugged at, and the man was being rubbed in multiple, personal areas. All the while, Muzai was standing still; blankly watching the scene unfold. Wow, she hadn't known that her classmates were so starved.  
"Oi- Would you- Who's got their hand on- HEY! Cut it out! Knock it off!" The vice commander's voice was drowned out by incessant squeals and chatter. This wasn't good. These women had no clothes on, and they were all pulling him in opposite directions. Muzai and Sachiko watched on with equally blank expressions. Hijikata could do nothing. His coat was being pulled off, and the random swipes of his hand weren't doing much to defend the man.

"Damn it! Stop- Oi! OI! GET YOUR HANDS OFFA ME!"

Sighing, Muzai shook her head. Wow, this was getting sort of intense. Where was the instructor? From the looks of things, this wouldn't stop any time soon. Thoroughly annoyed, the woman walked away. Sachiko remained in place; still watching. She wanted to see how far this would go.

Barely able to keep his coat on, Hijikata defended his manhood; it was all he had left. After being groped by all these women he didn't know how much more he could take. They were hanging onto his arms, talking about muscle firmness and whatnot. Either way, this was too much to bear. He didn't like this! He didn't want this to happen! As if his mind was being read, a loud voice brought the woman to a standstill.

"Ladies, control yourselves! You don't need a man to make you happy!"  
The women paused, and all that remained was a gratuitous, relieved Hijikata. No rape for him. Muzai was gone, and he glanced over the room as the source of the voice came into view.

"This is all about being happy and free! You don't do this to entertain men; you do this to be fit, and have fun! Now let that man go, and get back to your demonstrations!"

Locking his eyes to the instructor, Hijikata was both dumbfounded and appalled by what he found. Before him, stood a Madao. One dressed in shorts, and a tank top. Manly legs poked out from his tight shorts, and Hijikata stared at him through squinted, perplexed eyes. Seriously? After that speech, one would expect a woman; not a hairy hobo. Moreover, the women actually listened to him.

Sure, so they don't pole dance to make men happy. Not the plural form, at least. Just one. The madao grinned at Hijikata, and he wasn't sure whether he should return the gesture or not. Of course, even if he did, the best he could muster was a tense smirk. To top that off, the swarming women had given Muzai an opportunity to escape. Not that she was being held or anything, but she had slipped away in the midst of the commotion. Just great.

* * *

**A/N: Wow, this and the last chapter got really long. Haha, so how random was that? LMAO, between pole dancing and Madao, I think everybody is confused. ****Thank you all for your reviews!**

**MinagiSoryu- Thank you for your review! I'm glad that you like this story :) I think you're right, Muzai is going to have to put a bag over his head; just so she doesn't see him, Hahaha. And that's exactly why she was drinking. Your English is very good! Hope to hear from you again some time :)**


	24. Chapter 24

Upon seeing Madao in the dance studio, Hijikata was unsure of what to say. The vice commander remained in place; staring at the hobo through narrowed eyes. It was as if he expected an explanation, yet he knew he would receive none. The women around him moved back to the pole they had been sharing,; ignoring the tens of others. Glancing over the room, Hijikata found Sachiko still peering at him. He grabbed the edges of his coat, and straightened his uniform as he stepped away from the small group.

The vice commander walked to the entrance and stepped outside. He had to tell Kondo. If Kondo knew, he couldn't blame the vice commander for any future mishaps or discoveries about his "daughter". Plus, he didn't have anybody else to tell. Hijikata pulled the phone from his coat, and quickly called the commander. Somebody had to know! It was possible that if Kondo's image of his chosen daughter was tarnished, he might let Hijikata leave. The vice commander could completely wash his hands of the situation, and focus on more important tasks.

A moment passed; filled with nothing but a steady dial tone. When Kondo's voice sounded, Hijikata did not attempt to contain himself.

"OI! Where the heck have you sent me?! I expected some kind of school, or professor. Note taking, and school clicks, something like that! Not a room full of random women dancing on a freakin pole! Not that woman doing those kinds of things! Why did you make me come here?!" The automatic rant was met with disbelief, and confusion. Of course, that was the only response for such information.

"WHAT?! Zai, dancing on a pole?! No school?! Toushi, what are you saying?!" Kondo wailed the words on the other end of the line, and it became apparent that all Hijikata had managed to do was alarm his boss.

"What does it sound like?! I'm saying she was-" Glancing around the street from the indent of the entrance, Hijikata placed a hand over his phone. He examined the passing cars to ensure that none could hear him.

"What does it sound like I'm saying? I'm saying she was half naked, and dancing on a freakin' pole! Like a stripper! Exactly like a stripper!"

Distraught, Kondo tried to deny the claim, yet failed to ignore Hijikata's panic. In less than an hour, his day had become one dark, swarming ball of disappointment and misery.  
"NOO! You're lying! My little girl wouldn't do something like that! You've got to save her! Get her off the drugs- teach her about men!"

"Wh- What?! What are you suggesting I do? Teach her about men? What?! And I never said anything about drugs!"  
"That's the only explanation! Why else would she be- _Toushi_! You've got to educate her!"

Taken aback by the statement, Hijikata felt his brow furrow. His free hand covered his mouth as the man tried to make _decent_ sense of Kondo's words.  
"Just- Just how am I supposed to do that?! She seems to already know about... Stuff, she was on a fu-"  
"Don't say it again! Don't say it Toushi! I don't want to hear it! Go fix her; don't let her take everything off! Make her stop! This is an order Toushi!"

And once again, Hijikata was sucked back into the most meaningless, ridiculous part of the case. Kondo didn't give him time to answer, he immediately hung up. Not before Hijikata heard a few random mutterances that made no sense, whatsoever.

"Sue that place for deceiving my little girl... She would never do something like that, it's so-" And the words were halted with a click. Shaking his head, Hijikata tried to devise a course of action. He had to do something. Kondo wanted him to fix Muzai, but how? And how on earth was he supposed to... Teach her about men... That just sounded...

The vice commander released a sigh as he turned back towards the building. He forced himself to enter, and started towards the short hippie woman. She hadn't moved, and was watching the others dance.  
"Where's Kikuno?" The moment he said the woman's name Sachiko tilted her head. A slight frown creased her brow as the woman peered up at him.

"Zai? You're strange... Why do you call her that?"  
Rolling his eyes, the vice commander ignored the question. He pulled his cigarettes from his coat, and when the pack came into view, the man was met with a devastated expression. Frowning at Sachiko as if she was crazy, Hijikata pulled a stick from the paper package it resided in.

"I knew those weren't herbal! Do you know what you're doing to the environment? Do you?! And all the chemicals in these big, fancy brands! You're just a puppet for the man; they want you to smoke those things!"

Stepping backwards, the vice commander stared at the short woman. She seemed genuinely hurt, yet it was hard to take her seriously when she was dressed in nothing but her panties and a bra. Her rambling was tuned out as Hijikata replaced his cigarette. He could wait. Maybe two minutes. Probably a no smoking building anyway. The vice commander turned away and skimmed his eyes over the room once more.

"So where did you say she went?" Cutting the woman's environmental nonsense short, Hijikata continued to glance over the room. Everybody else had taken to laughing and practicing on the pole again.

"The locker room. But seriously! How could you?! Think of the animals! You're killing the birds and trees! Murderer! Earth killer!"

As if he hadn't heard a word, Hijikata found a door that led deeper into the studio. He moved to said door and let himself in; nobody seemed to mind. The man was met with an empty room surrounded by lockers. Just as he started to look elsewhere another door opened. He had almost overlooked it. Muzai entered the room; pulling a blue yukata over herself. The vice commander found his eyes slipping to the bit of exposed skin around her torso, only to have it blocked from view. When he met the woman's hazel eyes, they narrowed at him and he mirrored the expression. Instead of pausing to hear what he had to say, Muzai passed Hijikata. She leaned her shoulder back, barely avoiding bumping into him as she moved to a locker. Clearly, she was angered. Muzai opened a cubby, and pulled a small black bag from within. She walked to Hijikata's side, well aware of the fact that she was being watched.

The vice commander stared down at her as she poked a single finger into his chest; as if scolding him. One hand rested on her hip and her wallet hung on her wrist. The woman glared up at him, and gestured for him to come with her.

"What? You can strip in front of a crowd but you can't talk to me?" The snide remark earned a quick jab of Muzai's open palm. Hijikata took a half step back and smacked her hand away.  
"OI! I'm just calling it as I see it!"

The moment the man spoke, Muzai snatched his coat. Her face had flushed beet red, and she pulled his ear to her lips.

"My place. Now." After hissing the words, Muzai released Hijikata and turned to leave the room. A second was spent staring after the woman before he obliged. She needed to explain, anyway.

* * *

After a short while of trailing behind a white car, Hijikata found himself at the apartment from the night before. Muzai walked to the door, and punched a code into the keypad on the door. She barely held it open long enough for Hijikata to enter behind her. They walked in total silence; even the elevator was filled with nothing but quiet fuming. Muzai kept her gaze on the small clutch purse in her hands as the ground seemed to move beneath their feet.

Once the metal doors opened, she stalked towards her apartment. Hijikata watched her as she walked, unable to get the dance off his mind. Nevertheless, he was pissed; she shouldn't be doing something like that! With a twist of her key, Muzai pushed the door open. She left it ajar for Hijikata and immediately moved to her kitchen.

As the man closed the door behind himself, Muzai started to pour herself a glass of the wine from the night before. The vice commander narrowed his eyes at her as he walked to her side. He watched as Muzai pushed the cork back into the bottle, and shoved it back into her refrigerator.

"So what do you have to say for yourself? You told everybody you worked with computers; what the hell was that? What else have you lied about?!"

As Hijikata spoke, Muzai sighed. Irritation played on her features, and she raised the glass to her lips. After a few swallows of the wine, she raised a single finger to the man; as an instruction to wait. Muzai passed him and walked down the hallway, which was more visible now that the sun was up. Wooden floors extended to it's end which held a small window in the wall. Hijikata watched as Muzai placed a hand on a door knob, and another on the door itself. She carefully pulled the door open; silent as if she did not want to disturb. A second passed, and the vice commander leaned onto the counter; irritated.

After a few minutes, Muzai returned. No reason was offered, and she immediately set to consuming her glass of wine. The woman shifted her gaze as she drank, and it became clear that she either intended to drink the entire glass, or was trying to stall. Placing a hand on the rim of the cup, Hijikata pushed it to the counter.

"_Well? _I'm _waiting_."

Muzai flashed the man an annoyed scowl, and allowed him to push her glass away. Sighing once more, she grabbed his sleeve. Hijikata allowed the woman to pull him to the stairs beside the kitchen, and to a loft. The area was surrounded by a round couch, and a pole stood in the middle of the floor. Muzai motioned to it as if it wasn't incriminating evidence.

"You do that HERE?! People come to your house, to watch you?! How can you think that's safe?! What woman in their right mind would-"  
"No, idiot!" The woman's voice interrupted him, and Muzai shook her head. She closed her eyes, and raised a hand to her temple.

"What I do with my time is none of your business, anyway. Why the hell were you at my class? Are you following me?"

Tightening his jaw, Hijikata glared at the woman.  
"Don't try to change the subject! I just caught you dancing with no clothes on!"  
"I had clothes-"  
"Panties and a bra doesn't count as clothes!" Motioning to the woman's yukata, Hijikata shook his head.

"What the hell were you doing?" He demanded, and Muzai locked her gaze to his.  
"What, you think you deserve some sort of explanation? Who the hell are you?"  
"Damn right I deserve an explanation!" Though it wasn't intended, he found himself raising his voice. His irritation was impossible to control, and Muzai was obviously in the same sort of mood. Still, and odd expression crossed her and she shifted her gaze. Still glaring at the woman, Hijikata remained in place.

"I'm not a stripper, dumb ass. My god, are you that close-minded? It's just a dance class that I've been going to for years! It has nothing to do with men, or money; it's about being healthy, and feeling good about yourself." Sighing, Muzai shook her head. Well, that didn't sound as bad as what Hijikata had been thinking. Still, it was a risky type of class. No normal person would do something like that. "You're one to talk, anyway. You let everybody try to rip your clothes off; you _enjoyed_ it."

Tightening his jaw, Hijikata narrowed his eyes.  
"N- NO, I did NOT! You didn't even try to help me!"  
"Well, why the hell were you there?" Hijikata knew he couldn't tell her he was supposed to be spying. And oh, how stimulating that had been. Plus, it wasn't actually spying...

"How long had you been watching? How much did you see?"

Shifting his gaze, Hijikata tried to muster a convincing tone. He placed a hand to the back of his head and obvious guilt played on his features.  
"Uh... didn't s... much... it... wasn't really looking..." The man's voice grew too low to hear, and Muzai tilted her head.  
"Don't lie to me."

When Hijikata glanced up at her, he was met with a blank expression and raised eyebrow.

"And put some clothes on next time!"

Frowning, Muzai shook her head.  
"I can't, I'll fall. You need skin to grip the pole- I had clothes on."  
"No you didn't!"

Narrowing her eyes at the man, Muzai allowed her hands to slip to the edges of her yukata. His face grew long as the woman stepped towards him, and slowly tugged her obi lose. She pulled the robe open, and stared straight at the man.  
"Can you see anything?"

Oh god, why was she taking her clothes off? This wasn't acceptable! She couldn't just pull her yukata open like that and show him that slinky swimsuit thing and... And... Shit! He had spent to long trying to dissuade his urges! Now she was ruining his efforts. Stepping toward the woman, Hijikata grabbed her Yukata and tugged it closed. His face had turned bright red, and he snatched her belt from the ground. As Hijikata tied the robe shut, Muzai stared at him as if he had lost his mind.

Seconds passed, and the man backed away; satisfied with her decency. He shifted his gaze, as well as his weight and Muzai blankly peered at him. She shook her head as if that was the wrong thing to do, and Hijikata found himself confused. Still, she couldn't do something like that.

"Tell me... How was it? You saw me right? Was it good? Did it look nice?"  
"You shouldn't just pull your clothes off like that... It really... Just... Don't do that! Don't _ever _do that again!" The unexpected outburst earned a slight frown, and Muzai stared up at the man. She averted her gaze, and he realized that the question was genuine. Scratching his arm, he offered a single nod.

"So... Uh... Why ask that? Why that kind of- Uh... Dancing?"

Once more the woman peered up at him, yet a sight smirk curled her lips.  
"It's fun..." When the woman received a puzzled narrow of Hijikata's eyes, she sighed. Muzai crossed her arms, and shifted her gaze as though it was an embarrassing question. Nevertheless, she offered an answer.  
"It's about expression... I know it's a bit... " Flicking her eyes to the man, Muzai found his gaze had grown more intense; skeptical.

"What? You think I have no sexuality? I'm not asexual, you know."

As she spoke, Muzai turned towards the pole. She touched a hand to it, and Hijikata stared at the wooden floorboards beneath his feet. What was with that comment? Was he reading too far into things? People don't just say something like that for no reason. She had to be hinting at... But maybe she wasn't? Maybe he was the only one that thought that. And teaching her about men... Uh, not in a bad way. Not that sex is a bad way, but that's not what he was thinking. Not at all. Nope. Clearing his throat, Hijikata pushed himself to continue the conversation.

"Clothes wouldn't kill you though..."

"Actually, they could..." Snickering, Muzai lightly tapped the man's shoulder. When he gazed at her, she lifted herself onto the pole, and wrapped her legs around it. The fabric of her yukata caused her to slide down, and she shifted her gaze.  
"See? If I'm upside down, I could break my neck. That's not very attractive..."

Reaching towards the woman, Hijikata tugged at the back of her yukata.

"Stop that- Don't do that! You can't just-"  
"What? It's normal; only Sachiko comes over here anymore and we practice almost every time." Sighing, Muzai offered a sideways glance. The woman showed Hijikata her palms as if to signal that he needed to relax. She untied the belt of her yukata, and let it fall to the ground. Hijikata could barely keep his jaw from dropping with the robe, as she pulled herself onto the pole again. She wrapped her legs around it, and relinquished the grasp of her hands.

"See?"  
Staring at the woman, Hijikata tried to think of a response. Instead of anything close to a decent compliment, or comment the man simply found himself lost in the world of an audible "Uhh...". Realizing that he wouldn't be able to offer anything more, he shook his head.

"You drank too quickly..." Without warning, he grabbed Muzai's back, and pulled her from the pole. There. Down, girl. She started to giggle, and allowed him to tear her from the metal support. The innocent bats of her hands threw Hijikata off, and he took one too many a step back. The man found himself almost tripping on the oversized couch. Still, as he landed in a sitting position, and Muzai on her back across the couch, she continued to laugh.

**A/N: Alone time :o **  
**What will happen? **  
**:D I'm just being sadistic; I already wrote the next chapter MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA.**  
**Uh, Ahem- Yeah.**

**Thank you all for your comments :)**


	25. Chapter 25

After landing on the couch, Muzai had laughed for almost an entire minute. Hijikata blankly stared down at her; partially curious as to whether it was aimed at him or not.

"You're not supposed to be clumsy- you didn't drink!"

Rolling his eyes, the vice commander gazed at the woman as she turned over and peered at him. She really needed to put that yukata back on. Moreover, that 'crawling on all fours' thing wasn't doing him any justice. Muzai plopped down on the couch, sitting between her legs, as she reached towards the vice commander. He remained still; half expecting her to grab his notepad. Surprise crossed him as she pulled his cigarettes from his coat, and popped one between her lips.

"Do I look like you?" Raising an eyebrow, the woman smirked. Hijikata frowned at her before a tone of amusement escaped him. Muzai turned to the window behind them, and unlatched it. She pulled the glass pane up, and locked it in place before sitting back down; aimed towards the vice commander. He was offering his lighter, intensely staring at her with his gunmetal blue eyes. With a flick of the mayonnaise shaped device, a flame appeared and Muzai pushed her hair back as she lit the cigarette.

Well, that wasn't as bad as Hijikata had expected. Except now, Kondo thought Muzai was a drugged up stripper. Kind of hard to go back and say "whoops, false alarm! Everything's all better now".

The woman locked her gaze to his and tilted her head. It seemed to be a curious gesture, as if she wondered why he held such a serious expression. In the same breath, she offered a wide, incandescent smile. Hijikata was slightly startled to see such a genuine expression; then again, when she held any sort of expression it was always untainted. In public, she had none, yet a private moment like this held the opportunity to actually know the woman. Her grin was contagious, and before he knew it, Hijikata felt the corners of his lips threaten to curl. He turned away, and gazed at the lower floor to avoid the hint of emotion.

His attention was drawn to Muzai once more as she tugged at his coat.  
"Oi, you understand me don't you?"  
Raising an eyebrow, Hijikata considered his answer. He couldn't fully agree with that question. While it was true that he could read most of her hints, he was unable to comprehend her thought process. He didn't know her well enough to consider himself able to understand. She communicated with her eyes; her questions, and point was obvious. But beyond that, Hijikata was unsure.

"What do you mean?" He finally asked and Muzai's brow furrowed.  
"You understood me at the Shinsengumi... It's not easy. So can I tell you a secret?"

The question caused the man's mind to wander. A part of him wondered if it had to do with the case, and another hoped it was about him. Somehow, between his many thoughts Hijikata managed a nod.

"In a place like this, or at the class, I can talk to people. Well, if I know them. Two months ago, a girl walked up to me. She looked at me, smiled and said 'Hi'. I froze. At first, I was scared... It terrifies me, it really does. I didn't know what to say back. I thought I could just say 'Hi', but... Isn't that so cliché? There as to be something better to say, but... Even if I thought of something, I probably couldn't..." Pausing, Muzai shifted her gaze. She lifted the cigarette to her lips, and took a shallow drag before flicking her eyes back to Hijikata's. The man had turned towards her, and was watching her with his usual stern expression. One hand casually rested on his knee and though he appeared to be listening, she wondered if he was actually interested. It seemed silly, to share something so mundane. Other than Sachiko, he was the only one she could tell.

"Even though I didn't say anything, she kept talking to me. I was really surprised; most people give up. I hate when they say 'She can't talk and she never will so don't waste your time on her'..." Once more, Muzai lowered her gaze.

"But after about a month, she was still talking. One day, she brought me a bottle of water in class, and the whole time I was thinking 'I have to thank her'. When she handed it to me, before I even knew it, I said it! She looked surprised and she still talks to me, but I haven't been able to say anything again..."

Silence fell over the pair, and Hijikata studied Muzai. She talked a lot. It was a good thing. The vice commander pulled the cigarette from her hand, earning a short glance. He took a long drag of the smoke and wondered if she would be okay with smoking in her apartment once she sobered up. Nevertheless, he wanted to hear her talk a bit more. Even if she only said one more line, it was as if her voice could be considered intimate. Maybe he was over exaggerating, but she didn't seem to have anybody but Sachiko.

"And?" The man pushed, gazing at the smoke as it wafted towards the ceiling. Muzai peered at him, and a soft smile crossed her once more at the realization that he was really listening.

"I checked myself into the asylum because a doctor told me about a class they had. A counselor, that I haven't ever been able to say a single word to... But I write. See, there was a chance to actually dance in a professional competition. Not pole dancing, contemporary. I wanted to but I would just freeze. I got to an audition, and couldn't do it. So I thought that maybe if I could talk to people first, I could try to audition again..."

Peering at the woman from the corners of his eyes, Hijikata maintained a slightly disinterested expression. Was he seriously comfortable around this nearly naked woman? How was that even possible? The words _comfortable_ and _naked_ should never be in the same sentence unless the word _alone_ accompanied them.

Turning back towards Muzai, the vice commander studied her expression. Her mood had fallen from bubbly to disappointed. She seemed upset that the asylum was no longer there to help her. If anything, it made the man think of how her silence had to affect her life. Not self-imposed silence, but actual, unappeasable muteness. Yet here she was, talking to him. While she was at it, he wanted to ask her something. She had never answered him before, and this was possibly the best time to do so.

"Kikun-"  
"Please stop calling me that..." Muzai glanced up at Hijikata, and he raised an eyebrow.  
"It makes us seem like strangers..."

A slight nod was offered, as well as the cigarette Hijikata had been smoking. Muzai accepted it, and leaned onto the back of the couch; still facing Hijikata.

"You never told me... You said you weren't always like this. What happened?" As Hijikata peered at the woman, Muzai lowered her gaze. She seemed to sink within herself; half wanting to tell him; just for the sake of speaking, yet not wanting to approach the subject. The woman glanced out of the window and a low sigh escaped her as she dropped the cigarette butt from the suspended ledge. Surprisingly, no lecture about littering came. When silence fell over the two, Muzai opted to change the subject.  
"You know, you're cute..."

The woman met Hijikata's gaze, and inched towards him. He felt himself lean away, utterly confused. She was making a move on him. Had to be. And now that she did this, it made it seem as though everything else she had done was intended to be flirtatious as well. Muzai placed a hand on his chest and before he knew it, the woman's lips grazed the curve of his jaw, just under his ear.

"But you should really go... And please, don't come back."

Turning to peer at the woman, Hijikata felt confusion weigh on his features. So it was okay for her to hit on him, but if he tried anything, it wasn't? She could kiss him, no matter how slight it was, and tell him to never return in the same breath? Muzai leaned back, and tilted her head. Her piercing gaze didn't help to alleviate the complexity of the vice commander's thoughts. He studied her as she shifted her gaze. No sense could be made of the woman's words; especially when accompanied with her actions. Instead of attempting to make her explain, Hijikata moved closer to her. If this was a competition, she was winning, and he couldn't have that.

Muzai frowned at the man as he leaned into her and placed a hand to her jaw as he had before. Without offering an opportunity to escape, Hijikata pushed his lips to hers. It was clear that Muzai had frozen and seconds passed before she started to move. The woman returned his gesture, and her hand pressed into his chest. Another slipped over his shoulder, and to the nape of his neck. A slight sound escaped Muzai, as if she expected him to let her go, yet the man knew that if she didn't want him to return she would force him away.

When he found himself drawn closer, Hijikata obliged. He pushed against the woman, and she gripped his coat; crawling into his lap. The intensity of their kiss magnified as a tongue flicked across Hijikata's lips. Access was granted and Muzai tilted her head as hands slid up her thighs. The taste of wine danced onto Hijikata's tongue, and the man felt his mind fall silent. A moan graced his ears as his palm ventured to Muzai's back, and forced her into an arch. Through his coat, he could feel her heart racing, and it was comparable to his own.

She didn't want him to leave, and he knew it. Still, she insisted on telling him to go, and he couldn't understand why. It wasn't as if she didn't enjoy his company. Obviously, if she chose to speak to him, she wanted to. Even though he knew she wanted to tell him things, she would almost immediately push him away afterwards. Without warning, Muzai pulled away. A firm hand on the man's chest forced them apart, yet did not change the fact that she was seated on him.

Oxygen was sought to make up for the pause in airflow, and hazel met metallic blue. Muzai's thumb pressed against the vice commander's lower lip as she tilted her head.  
"You're trouble."

The statement didn't make sense. Hijikata wondered if it was some objectionable attempt at a joke, or if the woman was genuinely providing a glimpse of her opinion. Frowning, Hijikata allowed his hand to fall from her hip. He stared at the woman, noting her serious expression.  
"What? What makes you say that?"

Muzai shifted her gaze, and attempted to completely move away. Though her response was desired she had no intention of offering one, and it was obvious. When the woman started to move Hijikata opted against allowing her to do so. He pulled her back, and with one movement had her under himself. Muzai peered up at the vice commander; clearly startled. He leaned into her, close enough to graze her lips with his own.

"How could _I_ be trouble?" The man murmured the words, all the while attempting to stave the thoughts bubbling within him. Muzai turned her head, yet her gaze remained on him. A second passed and the woman's hand returned to his chest. She nudged him away, only to find the man opposing her. He didn't budge. If anything, he moved closer. From the way things looked, she was too nervous to speak. An odd sound interrupted the pair, and Hijikata leaned up to peer over his shoulder. Muzai sat up as well, not as confused as the vice commander. It was a common noise to hear within the walls of her home. While Hijikata was trying to figure the unanticipated dinging, Muzai slid from under him. His attention shifted back to her as she lifted herself to her feet and set to closing the window. Hijikata noticed the woman refused to look at him, yet finally started to answer his question.

"All of this. We-"  
The ring of a bell caught the pair's attention once more and Hijikata felt confusion tug at his mind as he peered down the stairs. Muzai paused and gazed in the same direction. She was being called.

"You should go; let yourself out." Without an explanation, Muzai moved to the stairs. She seemed to be in a hurry as she descended the steps, and Hijikata tried to understand her reaction. Again. He was unsuccessful. Again.

"Wait, what was that?" Pushing himself to his feet, the vice commander watched as Muzai reached the lower floor, and moved towards the hallway. She stopped to peer up at him, and for a split second, the vice commander was positive she had smiled.

"Daddy. He's awake." Leaving it at that, Muzai continued about her way. Once more, they had been interrupted, and Hijikata had nothing to do but over analyze the situation. Great. If that wasn't enough, he had to tell Kondo what he had learned.

* * *

**A/N Yay, and update!**  
**Thank you all for your reviews**  
**I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)**


	26. Chapter 26

Instead of immediately leaving as told, Hijikata opted to give into his curiosity. The vice commander silently descended the stairs, and turned towards the hallway Muzai had disappeared into. He hadn't been into the back of the apartment before. Still, he couldn't help but wonder why Muzai would rush away. Well, he understood that she took care of her father, but that only brought more questions. How old was he, or why was he bedridden? While it was possible to ask, curiosity got the best of Hijikata, and before he knew it, he was walking down the hall. The vice commander shoved his hands in his pockets as he neared the open door.

"Okay, careful... Let's get you up..." That was Muzai, gingerly murmuring the words. A low sigh sounded, almost immediately followed by a deep baritone.  
"Mm, this damn leg... Thanks Missy."

"You had me worried, daddy. You've been sleeping a lot... Sachiko said you didn't eat for a few days... Are you feeling alright?"

Hijikata reached the door, only to find Muzai helping an older man up. His arm was around her shoulder, and she glanced up at the vice commander as he stepped into view. A slight frown creased half of her father's face, and confusion crossed the vice commander. Everybody froze. Hijikata studied the salt-and-pepper haired man that leaned onto Muzai. He was dressed in a pair of button up pajamas, and the bed behind him remained unmade. His room was large. A window was at his bedside; large enough for him to watch the world below. A small bell rested on a nightstand beside him, and a TV was placed on a dresser at the foot of his bed.

A few medical supplies sat in the corner of the room yet didn't seem to get much use. The older man took a step forward and Muzai peer up at him, forced to move towards Hijikata as well.

"Didn't I tell you to go?" Her tone was odd. Hijikata didn't know if she was irritated or embarassed. Her father frowned down at her, obviously surprised to hear her speak to a "stranger". Before Hijikata could respond, the older man spoke.

"Missy, don't be so mean to a guest." Slowly returning his gaze to Hijikata, the man seemed to size him up. Copper eyes studied the vice commander, and Hijikata did the same, as Muzai averted her gaze.

"Sorry, daddy..."

The man took another step forward, and Muzai followed as he approached the vice commander.

"So what is this? Another boyfriend? A replacement for Fuuta?"  
The words earned a tilt of Hijikata's head, and distress crossed Muzai's features.  
"No, it's nothing like that. He's just... I don't know what he is, he's some guy. What are you?" Her attention shifted to Hijikata, and the vice commander found himself caught off guard by the sudden question. Obviously, the woman was looking to him to save her. To satisfy her father with some sort of explanation. He had none. He didn't know what he was.

"Oh, well... Uh..." Shifting his eyes between Muzai and her father, Hijikata tried to find a response. Half of the older man's face held an intense demanding expression. One which Hijikata had no idea of how to appease. He had spent his time trying to make sense of the man's half working body. The only explanation he could find was a stroke. Now he was stuck trying to explain who he was.

"I'm the vice commander of the Shinsengumi, Hijikata Toushirou." He stated, as if that was the answer the man was looking for. Muzai dropped her head; obviously disappointed in the response.

"Oh?" The older man stared straight at him, and the pleasant crow's feet near his right eye creased.  
"Well, get out of our way, Fuuta. I'm getting tired."

Muzai grimaced at the name, and Hijikata continued to stare at the man. A second passed, and the vice commander felt a spark of irritation.  
"It's Hijikata." He repeated, and the older man raised an eyebrow.

"That's what I said." A slight snicker accompanied the man's words, and Muzai sighed.  
"Hijikata-San, we need to get by, please..." She murmured the words, and the vice commander offered a slight nod before stepping aside. Without hesitation, Muzai placed a hand on her father's chest, and helped him out of the room. Hijikata stood beside the door, and watched as Muzai walked with her father. She led him to the living room, and carefully set the man on the couch. The vice commander listened to the murmurs of a conversation, and slowly walked to the end of the hallway. He leaned onto the wall, and watched as Muzai and her father exchanged a few words.

"Don't call him that, Fuuta was nothing like him. And you know I don't date."  
"Yeah, yeah. You went from a criminal to a cop? Polar opposites?" The man muttered back, only to receive a sigh from his daughter.  
"Shush, I don't want to talk about it. Really, it's not like that. He's just... I don't know, we'll talk about it later. Give the guy a break." After quickly whispering the words, Muzai started to turn back to the hallway. Before she could take more than a single step. Her father grabbed her, and spun her around.

"You know, you shouldn't blame yourself for everything. I wouldn't mind if you started to date again. You don't need to give up a normal life for me..."

Hijikata frowned from his spot in the hallway as Muzai stared down at her father. The older man peered up at her as best he could, and released her wrist. Neither moved for what seemed to be an hour, yet was only a few seconds.

"I need a yukata..." Leaving it at that Muzai started away.  
"Yeah, it was weird for a guy to be over. Especially when you haven't changed out of your practice clothes." The words rumbled in a hearty laugh, and Muzai quickened her pace. She passed Hijikata with a single glance, and the vice commander coldly returned her gaze. Instead of speaking, he turned to follow Muzai. As they walked, static could be heard, followed by the sound of a TV.

The woman glanced back at Hijikata as he trailed behind her; studying the pale walls and wooden floor. Not a single word was exchanged as they walked. Upon reaching her room, Muzai stopped in the doorway. She turned to face Hijikata with one hand on the doorknob. At some point, he had placed a cigarette between his lips, yet it remained unlit. He glanced up at her, and she met his eyes with a slight glare.

"Why are you still here?"

Rolling his eyes, the vice commander pulled the stick from his lips and pushed it between Muzai's.  
"Shut up." He walked past her and into the room as the woman frowned after him. She turned around once more as he paced her room; studying it as if it would provide answers to his questions. Muzai pulled the cigarette from her mouth, and a low sigh escaped her.

A bed stood in the corner of the room, beside a window. All natural light was blotted out with a pair of blinds and grey floor length curtains. Everything looked normal; a dresser, nightstand, closet. Warm beige covered the walls, and a mirror hung over the woman's dresser. One side of the room was blocked off with a pair of sliding panels, and Hijikata slid one of the doors back. Behind it stood a small space that was just big enough to block oneself from the real world. A computer sat on a desk, paired with a small chair.

"Why are you so nosey?"  
Muzai's annoyed tone caught the vice commander's attention, and he turned to peer at her. Still, the man remained silent as he walked to her side. Irritation played on Muzai's features as Hijikata placed a hand on the door beside her and pushed it closed.

"You're still a suspect, you know... I've got to make sure I don't have to arrest you." Smirking, Hijikata leaned into the woman. As the door closed, he pulled Muzai out of the way, only to move her back against it. An arm snaked around the small of her back as he tugged her against himself and Muzai leaned into the door behind her.

"Oh? Should you be playing around with a suspect? You never know what I have up my sleeve."

Hazel met gunmetal blue in an amused staring competition, and Hijikata tilted his head.  
"Hmm, true... But you don't have sleeves right now. I think I'm safe."

The words earned a short snicker from Muzai, and she shook her head.  
"You never know. A real criminal could have anything... Anywhere..."

After a short pause, Hijikata slowly nodded. His eyes skimmed over Muzai's outfit, and the woman fidgeted under his gaze. When the man met her eyes again, she could have sworn his face had flushed.

"That's what searches are for..." The words were a low murmur, and seemed to be nothing more than a breath. Deep scarlet consumed the better portion of Muzai's face, and she averted her gaze.

"A- And how should I know that you're being civil?"  
"You'll just have to trust me." No response time was needed for Hijikata to speak. The woman shifted her weight, and one of her hands slid along the wall behind her. It seemed that the vice commander had managed to stump Muzai. She had no response, and was obviously flustered. With a growing smirk, Hijikata placed a single finger under the woman's chin. He forced her to raise her jaw, yet she refused to look at him.

"I- I need to change... Uh, get out..." Muzai started to move past the man, only to find herself being pinned in place.

"Change? Then you could hide more weapons..."  
The woman bit down on her lower lip, and averted her gaze once more. She placed a hand on Hijikata's shoulder, and offered his cigarette back with her other.  
"Nothing to say? No mixed signals to send?"

Sighing, Muzai glanced up at Hijikata. It was only for a split second, and the man took his cigarette from her as she tried to cope with her discomfort.  
"I don't send mixed signals... I'm obvious... Just... Contradicting..."

"Isn't that was mixed signals means?" The vice commander's amusement was furthered when Muzai placed a hand to her face. As if she could hide her red cheeks.

Slipping his cigarette into his pocket, Hijikata pulled the woman's hand from her face. She offered little resistance, and barely managed to glance up at him as he tightened his arm around her. With next to no warning, the vice commander's lips crashed into Muzai's. As if she expected the assault, she immediately slipped her hand to the vice commander's jaw. Her free hand tugged at the man's coat, pulling him closer.

A knee was forced between Muzai's legs, and she managed a slight groan as Hijikata pushed her hand against the door behind her. The vice commander broke the contact of their lips, yet Muzai didn't let him move away. She pulled the man back and resumed her motions; with his throat as a new target. Suppressing his voice, Hijikata felt his grip on the woman's wrist loosen. She pulled her hand away, only to tug at his coat. Before he knew it, she was pushing the fabric from his shoulders. Shrugging out of the coat, Hijikata pulled it away as Muzai started on his vest. The woman hurriedly unbuttoned the fabric, as if every second he was dressed added to her panic.

Hands slid up her sides, yet did not dare to venture under the edges of her own outfit. A warm tongue flicked over the vice commander's skin, followed by a light bite, which enticed a cut off groan. His vest fell open and his scarf soon met the same fate, with one sharp tug.

"Oi-" Completely ignored, Hijikata shifted his gaze as Muzai worked the white button up under his vest open. Lacing a hand through the chocolate strands of the woman's hair, Hijikata barely tightened his grip. She was still teasing his neck; clouding his mind with thoughts that needed no fuel. When the woman's hands slid down his bare skin, he knew he had to stop her. Still, the heat of the moment contradicted his own rational thoughts.

Though he knew that such scene was horrible, it just... Felt so wrongly good. His mind shouted for some sort of decency; to halt the approaching incident. Still, in a rush of endorphins, and wandering hands made it impossible to listen to himself. Before Hijikata knew what he was doing, he had scooped Muzai up by the back of her thighs. Her legs locked around his waist and she used his shoulders to steady herself as the man stepped backwards. Her mouth traveled up his neck and to his lips as he carefully moved to her bed and seated himself.

Muzai barely moved to reposition her legs. The vice commander tucked her hair behind her ear as she pulled at his belt. An unmistakable hardness pressed into her through his pants, which seemed to be in the way. Rough hands slid over her hips, and moved the woman in a circular motion. A mutual groan vibrated between the two as Hijikata felt his belt grow loose. Gripping the woman, he broke the contact of their lips and pushed her onto the bed. The vice commander lowered himself over her. His heart raced with anticipation, and Muzai gazed up at him with a foreign expression.

"You know we shouldn't be doing this..." Murmuring the words, Hijikata studied the flick of the woman's gaze. She offered a slight nod, and Hijikata mirrored the motion. Fingertips trailed down her collarbone, and barely hooked on her clothes as the man teasingly skipped over the fabric.

"I won't tell if you don't..." Muzai's response earned a bit of surprise, which was quickly hidden. The woman placed her hands on Hijikata's chest, and pulled the fabric of his scarf away. A slight smirk curled her lips as she dropped the bit of clothes over the side of the bed.

"But you've got to promise me something..."

Frowning, Hijikata barely tilted his head. Understanding the gesture, Muzai leaned up. She placed her hand to the crook of Hijikata's neck, and brought her lips to his opposite ear.

"When you leave... Do _not _come back." The words were carefully spoken, and sparked a nagging sense of curiosity within Hijikata. He didn't understand why she wanted him to disappear. While she clearly wanted him as badly as he found himself craving her, she continued to push him away. To draw him near, and throw him away made no sense to him. As if she was intentionally misleading him, or playing a game.

"Why are you trying to get rid of me?" Pulling back, the vice commander felt himself frown. Muzai peered at him, and attempted to erase the man's question with a tender kiss of his neck, yet it had no such effect. Hijikata found himself moving away from her touch, lost in a sea of "why's", or "what's". Sensing the change of his mood, Muzai shifted her gaze.

"I don't want a repeat of what happened. If you just leave me alone, I don't have to worry."

Answers were not supposed to further confuse. That is exactly what the woman's words had done.

"A repeat of what? You don't make any sense!" It was unintentional, yet Hijikata found himself taking his frustration out of the woman. She had managed to get him this far, only to fuck everything up with a single sentence. Muzai shied away from the man, and sank into the mattress as if she had been cornered. It seemed that he would finally get some answers out of the woman.

"OI! Missy! What's taking you so long?! You trying to starve me?!"

The unexpected voice caused both Hijikata, and Muzai to peer at the door. Her father had been completely forgotten. As if that had erased every exchanged word, Muzai switched her mood. Hijikata found her shoving him away. A scowl slipped across the woman's features as she pushed herself to her feet.

"You're distracting me."

With one stern glare, Muzai moved to her closet. Hijikata watched as she snatched a blue yukata from a hanger and tugged it on. Muzai glanced at him from the corners of her eyes as she tied the fabric closed around herself, and crossed her arms.

"I told you to go." Though the words were harsh, the woman's voice betrayed her. If anything, it sounded as if she was torn between two responses, what the other was, Hijikata would never know. As the woman let herself out of the room, the vice commander placed a hand to his head. Exasperation crossed him, and for a split second, he wondered if there was any way to comprehend.

The man sat on the edge of Muzai's bed as he contemplated fixing his clothes. Not that he had a choice. Still, he tried to find some sort of alternate option that could have been taken during his brief encounter with the woman. He had her right where he wanted, only to see every sense of the moment slip away. She was bound to constantly avoid any form of attachment.

Glancing at the nightstand beside Muzai's bed, Hijikata found a picture frame. Face-down, the memory was hidden from sight. Grabbing the metal frame, the vice commander lifted it up, and held it over his lap to study. He leaned an elbow onto his knee as he caught sight of Muzai, and some stranger. A man with blonde hair. From the looks of things, it was some sort of date picture; they were grinning and all over each other. Though the man was smiling at the camera, Muzai was leaning into his side, gazing up at him. In the background, nothing but a lake and forest could be seen. They were sitting on a picnic table, leaning into one another. It was as if nothing else existed but them.

More questions. Why was it face-down? Who was the man? It was possible that this was the guy Muzai's dad had been talking about. Still, Hijikata wondered why Muzai would be so eager to bed _him _if the guy in the picture existed. It seemed recent; the woman still looked the same. Minus the grin and carefree attitude that seemed to be in the picture. If she couldn't talk, how could she get a boyfriend? Where was that guy, and why hadn't she said anything about him?

Moreover, why did anything concerning relationships seem to be a difficult subject to her? She had expressed that fact more than once; to Sachiko and her father.

Whatever the case, Hijikata was sure that the man in the picture had some sort of significance. The vice commander placed the picture back on the nightstand, and started to fix his clothes. He still had work to do, and couldn't waste time on the complicated woman that had managed to intrigue him.

* * *

**A/N: O.O that got sort of... Yeah...**

**Sooo, look how fast that update came! I'm gonna crash now- I stayed up waaaayyyy too late.**  
**Thank you all for your reviews! I appreciate the support :D**


	27. Chapter 27

As Hijikata pulled his coat on, he glanced at the mirror over Muzai's dresser. His clothes were straight and his skin was flushed from the earlier assault. After tugging his coat tight once more, the vice commander lifted his jaw and ran a palm over his neck. It was almost as if he could still feel the woman against him. At least his scarf would cover any lingering marks.

Sighing, the man walked through the open door, and started down the hallway. He smoothed out his sleeves as he neared the living room, hoping the stranger on the couch wouldn't suspect anything. The TV could still be heard, and occasionally a fake audience would gasp or laugh. Hijikata still wasn't sure of how he should address Muzai's father, then again, it didn't quite matter. When the vice commander reached the end of the hallway he found Muzai in the kitchen. The woman glanced at him before quickly averting her gaze. She held the lid of a rice cooker in one hand and a spoon in the other. Not a single word was offered. He was ignored almost as quickly as he had been noticed.

Equally quiet, Hijikata started towards the door. Before he could reach it, he found Muzai's father speaking to him.

"Oi, Son, come over here and join me."

The moment the man spoke, Hijikata paused. Muzai quickly tried to intervene.

"Daddy, he's a busy man. He doesn't have time to stay and chat." Her stubborn tone had no effect on the older man. He sighed, and continued to speak to Hijikata as if Muzai hadn't said a single word.

"Nonsense! You have time! You wouldn't disappoint an old man like me, right, Son?"

A second was spent contemplating his response. Of course, Hijikata couldn't turn the man down. Knowing his position, he probably never got out to talk with other men, or do anything.  
"Mm." Nodding, Hijikata turned to the couch. The vice commander walked to the older man's side, and sat down. Muzai stopped everything that she was doing, even going so far as to ignore the ding of a microwave to eye Hijikata.

"Missy, make enough for him too." The older man's words earned a reluctant sigh, yet Muzai didn't speak against him.

"And bake 'em. Do the thing with the fish." Once more, Muzai grudgingly agreed. Hijikata glanced at the woman, then her father. A slight sense of awkwardness settled over the vice commander, and he found himself wanting nothing more than to smack the back of Muzai's head. Muzai's father glanced at Hijikata from the corners of his eyes, and a brief second of eye contact was made.

"You smell like cigarettes, Son." Turning to peer at the man, Hijikata ignored the soap opera on the TV in front of them. He barely shifted his weight on the brown suede couch as he waited for the man's point.

"So does the room. Have you been smoking in here?"

Unsure of how to respond, Hijikata took a second to study the man. He could feel Muzai's gaze on him as she worked in the kitchen. A moment passed, and Hijikata decided that it was best to be comfortably honest.

"I have." The words earned half of a grin, and a deep chuckle from the man. Muzai's father nodded, as best he could. The opposite side of his face remained blank, expressionless; he had no control over that half.

"What are you waiting for? Go on, light one for me!" Another laugh rumbled within the man, and Hijikata raised an eyebrow. Huh, so honesty was the appropriate response. And who the hell was this overbearing guy? What right did he have, to tell the vice commander what to do, and act as though his age gave him authority. Still, a touch of pity convinced Hijikata to oblige. When he lit a cigarette, a sigh sounded. A loud ding accompanied the exhale, and as Hijikata handed the cigarette to the older man, footsteps approached.

Muzai quickly strided to the men and set a plate of rice balls on the table in front of them. She crossed her arms, and eyed her father as if he was a child. For the most part, the woman was ignored. Hijikata peered up at her glare with a raised eyebrow. Despite her irritation, the vice commander lit himself a cigarette.

"Daddy, you know how I feel about that! I said no smoking!"

"Yeah, yeah, give me a break. Those herbal things your little friend sneaks me are horrible. Now this lad," Grinning, the man placed a hand on Hijikata's shoulder; careful not to burn him with the cigarette.  
"He has good taste. He's picked a fine brand, smooth smoke, full flavor." Hijikata glanced at the older man before smirking at Muzai. Take that. Her dad liked him. Almost simultaneously, the men placed their cigarettes to their lips.

"Sneaking? Sachiko's sneaking you cigarettes? I told her it increases the risk of-"  
"Yeah yeah, I know. _If anything you're gonna give me another stroke with all that nagging_." The man muttered the last part, and Muzai huffed in frustration. His comment obviously hurt her feelings; she only tried to make him quit for his health.

"But I've found her replacement. This one won't read me the ingredients of my brand." As the man snickered, Muzai turned away. She walked to a window behind the TV, and pulled the floor length curtain back. Two large windows were revealed, and the woman wasted no time in unlocking them, and pushing the panes up. She muttered under her breath, and glanced back at her father.

"Don't see why you made him stay... You better not try to trade me away for sheep again! If you say a single word about cattle or chickens- And he doesn't want to run a farm!"

Muzai's words earned a groan of annoyance, and her father scoffed.

"Bah! What's with you and that attitude today, Missy?! Ever since that idiot died you've been acting like this! You think you killed him? If that's so, I've got a whole list of people for you to 'curse' just go sleep with them, and we'll find out! Go on with that! Take it to your room, and get some work done! Or go to the store and get me some ice cream and a cute nurse!" The man waved his arm as he spoke, and Muzai froze in place.

A frown creased Hijikata's brow as he flicked his gaze between Muzai and her father. He had no idea what was going on. Killed whom? The crazy guy in the asylum? Then again, Hijikata doubted Muzai would go telling people about that. Somehow, the man had managed to demolish Muzai. She stared at Hijikata before lowering her eyes. Seconds passed, and it became unclear whether she would run away, or what she might do. For a moment, the only sound was the TV. The air in the room had grown deathly stiff, and Hijikata uncomfortably shifted his gaze. Finally, Muzai managed to force a few words out, only to be cut off.

"But... Outside? Really? I- You know I-"  
"No buts! Get over it, it's been more than six months! Let men talk!" With a single command from her father, Muzai seemed to freeze once more. The woman shifted her gaze as if she had no idea what she should look at. Hijikata stared at her, and he was positive that he only helped to increase the discomfort of the situation. The change in demeanor was visible, as if she could feel the people outside, and the pressure of not speaking; already suffocating her. Her voice had shut down.

The woman's lips barely moved as she nodded, and walked to the door. She glanced back at the men, and found Hijikata watching her. All form of expression had drained from her features. Muzai grabbed her wallet and keys from a hook beside the door, and slipped into a pair of sandals. Without a word, the woman left. The moment the door locked, Muzai's father peered at Hijikata. He spoke as if nothing was wrong, and snickered when he saw the raised eyebrow his statement had earned.

"Three goats sound fair?"

Snorting in amusement, Hijikata shook his head.

"I don't want your daughter." With a roll of his eyes, the vice commander focused his gaze on the TV. Muzai's father fell silent, and studied the man beside him for a moment.

"Neh, you're kidding yourself. I've heard her tell you to leave at least four times now."  
Flicking his eyes to the man beside him, Hijikata couldn't help but feel a touch of irritation.  
"Yeah, so?" The vice commander muttered, and the man offered a crooked grin.

"Why are you still here? Other than me telling you to sit down, that is. You don't seem to be the type to let strangers boss you around."

Peering at the man, Hijikata froze. Muzai's father seemed to size him up as he did the same, and the older man snorted in amusement. It was obvious that Hijikata didn't have a real reason.

"I'm on official business." Muttering the words, Hijikata grabbed one of the rice balls from the plate Muzai had set on the table. The man stubbed his cigarette out in a glass ashtray that seemed to be decorational.

"Oh? Real official, I can tell." The words earned a glare from Hijikata, yet Muzai's father didn't mind the look.

"Who are you anyway?" Hijikata casually stated his question as he eyed the food Muzai had prepared. The slight pause in conversation was ignored, and the vice commander proceeded to take a bite of the rice ball.

"Call me Kento." The older man dropped his cigarette beside Hijikata. He started to shift his weight around, and the vice commander noticed the man's strain to be normal. Hijikata grabbed the plate of food and offered it to Kento, earning a murmured "thanks".

"Don't you think you were a bit harsh on her?" The vice commander was slightly surprised to hear a chuckle in response.

"Ah, no. She needs to hear it every now and again, we're not always like that."

The TV filled the silence with a woman's voice. Something about her cheating husband.

"All I can say is that she's strong; she can handle it. At least, since that bastard died. She's better, at least. You know, Missy affords this place on her own, without my check. She says I'm going to buy a sports car when I get better." Kento snickered as he spoke. The man grabbed a rice ball, and lifted it to his lips. The words earned an odd expression, yet Hijikata opted to ignored the obvious implication.

Still staring at the man, Hijikata offered a slow nod.  
"Who is everyone talking about?"

"Fuuta." It seemed as if Hijikata was supposed to know who that was. Still, the vice commander chose to stay silent as he ate his rice ball. Kento also focused on the food, and silence fell over the pair. They stared at the TV as if the conversation was boring. Even so, it was obvious that more information was needed.

"A year ago, my little girl had hair to her knees. She cut it all off for that idiot. She used to wear makeup and cute dresses, hang out with friends. Now she doesn't even talk in public. She was a total pushover then."

Nodding, Hijikata set the plate between him and Kento. It was conveniently placed where the man could reach it, and he took advantage of that fact by grabbing another. The thought of Muzai being a pushover didn't seem plausible to Hijikata. While she was quiet in public, she had a full personality in her home. A strong personality, that didn't take the time to fully process emotional thoughts. Well, only her own, how ever complicated they may be.

"And what happened?" Hijikata pushed, and the older man peered at him. Though only half of an expression was offered it was intense; unnerving.

"Car accident. Missy swears it was her fault. She told him she wished he would die, and hour later, she got a call. He swerved off the road, and his car flipped. Claimed she'd never date again. Even went so far as to stop talking... She didn't even talk to _me_ for two months."

Raising an eyebrow, Hijikata leaned back onto the couch. Kento caught his gaze, and sighed.

"Who was he?" The vice commander asked. This man was the perfect source of information. Muzai wouldn't tell him anything, so he'd have to find his answers elsewhere. Like here.

"Honestly, son, I'm not sure. If you want to know what he was like, you should read her chest. I don't know if all of it's still there, and I can't remember what it was, but he wrote it."

At the thought of anybody 'writing' anything on Muzai's chest, Hijikata's eyes widened. He frowned at the older man, positive that he was far too serious to be joking. When nothing more was offered, Hijikata felt obligated to ask. He wasn't sure if he actually wanted to know, but he had to.

"Wrote it..? Like carved into her skin?"

Kento stiffly nodded, and peered at Hijikata from the corners of his eyes.

"Mm, one night I woke up to her screaming bloody murder. That was the night before his accident. Missy has had to look at that thing every day since then. He was a real sadistic son of a bitch."

Shifting his gaze, the vice commander felt his curiosity retract. He didn't want to hear any more. He knew he was done talking. His appetite was gone, too. Almost as if he knew the vice commander was finished with his questions, Kento offered a warm grin.

"I like you son, how about one goat? That's a good price."

* * *

Later in the evening, Hijikata was in his car, headed to speak with the prime suspect in the asylum case. The vice commander had chosen to leave before Muzai returned. He had briefly spoken to a hysterical Kondo, of whom still thought Muzai was a drug addicted stripper, and by a mutual decision agreed to meet Yoshi. Though it was an odd place to look, Yamazaki had tipped Hijikata, telling him that the man was on a beach; living it up. As if nothing had ever happened. From the way things sounded, it seemed as if the man hadn't a care in the world. By Yamazaki's word alone, the man had been attending fancy parties, and lounging around in fancy kimonos all day.

The vice commander was in silence, smoking cigarettes and occasionally glancing at his surroundings. What had started as a town that was filled with people and businesses had turned into a road along sandy shores. An occasional store was passed; most being gas stations or restaurants. How long it had taken to drive to the beach was unknown, and irrelevant. All Hijikata was concerned with was finding answers. He needed to get a feel for who this "Yoshi" man was, and determine the chances of him being involved with the crime.

Still, the fact that the man was lazing about a beach, no doubt enjoying himself, was a strike against him. Most people would be grieving, or shaken up by the previous events.

Turning into a parking lot, Hijikata chose a space to leave his car. From the looks of things, the beach was mostly abandoned. Only three other cars were parked in the same area as the vice commander. All were black, similar to his, but a different model. The vice commander calmly got out of his car, and walked to the edge of the hill that the parking lot rested on. Salt hung in the air, and warm wind whipped at his skin. Clusters of grass-like plants stuck from the ground, and Hijikata glanced at them as they rustled with the breeze. He was sure they had a name... Marram grass?

It didn't matter, that was the last thing he needed to be thinking about.

As the vice commander gazed at the ocean, he caught sight of a man laying on a beach chair. He was a ways away, but Hijikata could clearly make out a glistening bald head, as well as five large men in black suits all standing around him as if he was a sort of government official. Way to stand out. Hijikata wasted no time in starting towards him. The men around him all took notice to the vice commander as he made his way down a dune of sand and to the man of interest. As he neared the group, the men stepped together, and formed a wall. One in the middle extended a hand in his direction the moment Hijikata was close enough to step in his shadow.

With the sun in his eyes, the vice commander squinted up at the men, of whom were all conveniently wearing dark glasses. Over the sound of the waves, a small clink was heard. Glancing at a plastic table that was visible through the gaps of the bodyguard's legs, Hijikata found a tall glass filled to the brim with a smooth white liquid. A pineapple slice was perched on the rim of the glass, and a pitcher held more for easy refills.

"No autograph or news reports." One of the men spoke, and drew Hijikata's attention to the line in front of him. He glared at the small cluster, and shook his head.

"I'll keep that in mind." Reaching into his coat, the vice commander pulled out his wallet. He flipped it open and flashed his badge. The men in front of him peered at the display; seemingly unimpressed. When the wall in front of him remained, annoyance tinged within the vice commander.

"Get out of the way, this is above you."  
Stubbornly glaring at the suit wearing men, Hijikata pushed his wallet back into his coat. A second passed, and the men peered at one another. Still, the man behind them didn't pay the scene any mind. It seemed odd, most people would be nervous just to see the police. He was knowingly calm and still sipped his drink, which appeared to be a pina colada. A real one, not one of the bagged mixes. To top that off, who the hell set up a lounge chair and table at the beach just to get drunk off fancy drinks all alone? Not that Hijikata was complaining, but there were things to do, it seemed like a foreign concept.

After exchanging brief nods, the men in Hijikata's way stepped aside. Behind them, the man of the hour remained in place. His arms were folded behind his head, and he wore a loose floral button up and khaki shorts. One of those cheesy beach go-er shirts, the kind one would find in an overpriced swim shop they were forced to go to after having forgotten their bathing suit.

"Yoshi-San, I presume?" The vice commander stepped past the wall of bodyguards as he spoke. Though he addressed the man, he received no response. The man in the chair didn't look at him or acknowledge him in any way. Instead, he continued to stare at the sea, and sip his drink.

Frowning, Hijikata stared down at the man. Aside from the balding head, he seemed normal. Nothing amazing about his features, or even memorable. He was plain; the kind of person one would forget the moment he turned around. Well, if it wasn't for all the money and fancy whatever he had.

"I'm vice commander Hijikata with the Shinsengumi. I'm here to speak with you about an incident that occurred at one of the facilities you're funding."

"Oh? Which one?"

The reply was not what Hijikata expected. As Yoshi spoke, he turned to peer up at him from behind the lenses of his sunglasses. The man grabbed his glass, and took a swig of the chilled beverage after speaking, and the vice commander narrowed his eyes. So blatantly drinking in public... On top of that, it wasn't as if the burning asylum was a small scale case or story. No doubt, it had been all over the news and anything else that loved to gossip.

"Happy Meadows Asylum. I'm sure you know of what happened, and the extensive fatalities. So I'm here to ask you about what may have happened. It's standard procedure, there aren't exactly witnesses, per say."

The man placed his cup back on the table beside him, and Hijikata felt annoyance at the sight of his nonchalant demeanor.

"Ah, yes, the exhibits. I vaguely recall hearing something about that as I passed a TV this morning. I'm a busy man, you see, and don't have the time to trouble myself with something so mundane. If I have anything to say, I can assure you I'll contact your department, with a lawyer of course."

With the way things were going, this man would be serious business. He had no concern for the incident, nor did he appear to be open to a chat. Whether he knew that his actions and disinterested tone made him suspicious was unknown. His lack of care furrowed Hijikata's brow, yet he continued to speak; ignoring the men that had formed a half circle around him.

"Oh? You just heard about it, even though it happened more than a week ago? Yeah, you must really be a busybody." Glancing at the pina colada on the table, Hijikata narrowed his eyes.

"I can see how something like that would be irrelevant to you. Hard to believe you wouldn't care though, seeing as to how you had a relative in the facility."

The words earned a slight reaction. A raise of the man's eyebrow, and full on stare. He peered up at Hijikata and nothing but the sound of crashing waves could be heard. Sternly holding what he assumed to be eye contact, Hijikata waited for some sort of response. A snarky line that portrayed smart-assery, or condescending jibe.

"My personal life is none of your concern, cop." Though it was a carefully spoken sentence, the words formed clear hostility. Yoshi leaned up and pushed himself to his feet; still watching Hijikata. He clapped his hands twice, and three of the men around the vice commander moved to fold his chair and grab the table. The man's drink and pitcher was lifted, and the men stood in a miniature line; awaiting further command.

"Anything that may be related to this case is my concern. A witness has confirmed the fact that you had a relative that had been checked into the facility for help. I'm sure you would want to know if they were safe. You would be one of the first to hear about the incident; possibly on the night of the fire itself. What I don't understand is your unwillingness to discuss the situation." Crossing his arms, Hijikata eyed the man.

"Going so far as to refer to the place as an exhibit, and acting as though it had nothing to do with you, even when you had a nephew that resided there. We have sources, Yoshi-San. While you lounge around on the beach, we have a team searching for your nephew's remains. You tell me that it doesn't concern you? Well I think you should be _very_ concerned. A member of a prestigious family in an asylum would be _quite_ the scandal, wouldn't it?"

Once more, Hijikata received an involuntary response. Yoshi tightened his jaw, and seemed to glare at him through his sunglasses. The man walked to Hijikata, and stopped with almost no space between them. A slight scowl creased his features as he met the commander, eye-to-eye.

"As I said, if I have a thing to tell you, it will be at my own discretion, and with a lawyer. Unless I'm being summoned, or falsely arrested, I don't have to say a thing. And your witness, the girl, she's... Lucky, to have escaped. You should know, she was never officially released. As any other patient, she would have to return, to the other building, of course. I hope you plan to admit her once you've finished with your questions. Or is her speech still an issue?"

The sudden change of subject startled Hijikata. Though his confusion was quickly hidden, he found himself swarmed with more uncertainties. Yoshi obviously knew about Muzai; well enough to know why she had been admitted in the first place. The question was how.

"But she's already been released from your head quarters, correct?"

Through his calmly irritated mask, Yoshi had managed to reverse the game. Now Hijikata was the one under the heat of the conversation. Everything had been shifted, and turned around to an alternate topic. Not that Yoshi had spoken on the original subject.

"You are not the only one with sources, dear friend. Do your job, but know that I have nothing to do with it. Now, if you'll excuse me." Without another word, Yoshi turned around. He started towards the parking lot, and his loyal guards instinctively followed.

Still, all Hijikata could do was frown after the small group as they left. He hadn't gotten a single answer. All he had done was lay the heat on the man. Barely any reaction was achieved, and in the end, he received what he could only interpret as a passive aggressive threat.

* * *

**A/N: A loonngg chapter :)**

**Hope you all enjoyed the update, and thank you for your reviews!**


	28. Chapter 28

In the dinner hall, Hijikata sat beside Kondo at a small table; separate from the rest. They watched the men, murmuring about their day and the case. Back and forth, the conversation managed to focus on Yoshi, and Hijikata felt the need to report his speculations to the commander. An air of seriousness settled over them, and small bites of their meal worked to alleviate Hijikata's lingering irritation. Despite his words, Kondo wanted to give Yoshi the benefit of the doubt.

"I'm telling you, Kondo-San, he would be the most likely person right now. Almost a perfect suspect. Cold hearted, hostile- hell the man tried to act like he didn't even know about it.

"Maybe he didn't." Kondo suggested, and Hijikata shook his head as the commander glanced at him.

"You saw the records yourself; his nephew was in HM. He would be one of the first to know." Still, Hijikata received a skeptical expression from his superior. Sometimes Kondo was too nice for his own good.

"Kondo-San, he was lounging around a beach drinking fancy fruity things. He immediately stated that he wouldn't talk without a lawyer! If that's not suspicious, I don't know what is-"  
Toushi, maybe he was too grieved to talk about it. His nephew could be dead."

Shaking his head once more Hijikata glanced down at his knees. Shit, he was being completely ignored. As if Kondo wasn't understanding, or something. The vice commander placed his empty bowl on the short table in front of him, and folded his hands in his lap. As much as he had managed to cut out of the budget, one would think some regular chairs were possible. Only a smudge of mayonnaise remained in Hijikata's bowl, and he waited before taking it to the kitchen to clean. Low murmurs hung around him and the commander; as if the Shinsengumi members were oblivious to the serious conversation.

Hijikata pressed a napkin to his lips and pulled a cigarette from his coat.  
"No, I'm telling you-"  
"Toushi, he just needs some time. It's probably a sensitive subject, you know? He's trying to act tough. I want to hear about my little girl, did you manage to stop her? Did she keep her clothes on?"

Thrown off topic, the vice commander paused. Worry creased Kondo's features, and the man stared at Hijikata with wide eyes. The vice commander's immediate thought was the scene in Muzai's bedroom. She had kept her clothes on, but Hijikata had almost... The thought alone made him ache with the lingering memory. God, he needed release. And what had he been thinking? He had known they couldn't do something like that. It was painful to be so close; filled with nothing but need, only to come to an immediate halt. Shifting his weight on his legs, Hijikata tried to snuff the immediate burning sensation that crept over his skin.

"Uh, yeah... She kept her clothes on... Listen, Kondo-San-"  
"That's a relief! I was so scared you would be too late!"

Staring at the commander from the corners of his eyes, Hijikata considered the way he would word his correction. Kondo murmured about being glad, and smiled as he raised a bit of food to his lips.

Hijikata's brow furrowed, and he lit the cigarette propped in his mouth.  
"But aren't you upset? I told you she's a-"  
"It doesn't matter!" Kondo quickly cut the vice commander off, to avoid hearing the word. He didn't want to think about it. He offered a tight grin; his brows raised with worry. "If she had to do that in the past I can't be mad at her. We just have to save her again. We save women all the time, it's our job!"

The commander's forced grin confused Hijikata. Obviously, the man was still upset, but he chose to act as though he wasn't. Hijikata's mistake needed to be corrected; he had to tell Kondo. The commander was being accepting, and that was great and all, but if Muzai caught wind of what Hijikata had said she would probably kill him. Or at least try to. Awkwardly glancing at his superior, Hijikata cleared his throat.

"Erm, Kondo-San, about that... It was a misunderstanding. All of it. She's not really a stripper, she just takes... Stripper classes..?" Flicking his eyes away, Hijikata wondered if that was any better. That didn't exactly sound good. Now she sounded like an _aspiring_ stripper...

"Really? Misunderstanding?" Kondo echoed, and Hijikata nodded. Visibly relieved, the commander placed a hand to his forehead. He released a deep breath, which showed his lack of words for the good news.

"But that's not all... When I spoke to Yoshi, he knew about Muzai. He said she needs to be checked into the other Happy Meadows. Because she was never officially released."

The words caused Kondo to place his bowl on the short table in front of himself. He turned to frown at Hijikata, clearly alarmed.  
"What? But Toushi- She checked herself in; she shouldn't have to go back." Panic hung in the falsely calm tone, and Hijikata offered a slight nod in return. He took a slow drag of his cigarette, and studied the wide eyed expression Kondo had donned. With a furrowed brow, Hijikata continued.

"I know, but that's the way it is. Yoshi made it sound like a threat. Like he had been watching this case from afar. It was like something would happen if she isn't checked back in..."

"No! But I called her to come over tonight! How can I tell her that?" Urgency hung in Kondo's voice, yet the man's eagerness was met with nothing but Hijikata's usual calm tone. With no response to offer, Hijikata shrugged. He grabbed his bowl and pushed himself to his feet. Kondo called out to him, despite the fact that he was less than a meter away. That earned a slight frown, but it wasn't until the commander grabbed Hijikata's ankle, and held on like a child. Hijikata found himself dragging Kondo behind him for two steps until he came to a halt.

"No! Toushi that can't happen!"

All of the men in the wooden cafeteria were watching. They stared at the pair; everybody still dressed in their Shinsengumi uniforms, and falling mostly silent. Awkwardly peering down at his superior, Hijikata shook his head. The only reaction he could find was frustration- he was tired, it had been a long day.

"Damn it, Kondo-San! I'm not taking her! Your 'grieving' suspect is!" Leaving it at that, Hijikata shook his leg free and proceeded to the sink. He left Kondo to mope about his 'daughter' alone.

"I have to call her!" The declaration piqued Hijikata's curiosity. How could Kondo call Muzai? Why would Muzai even have a phone, and did she talk on it? Apparently, Sougo had heard, because he calmly walked to the commander's side, and knelt on the ground. The normally expressionless captain offered a smile as he pulled out his phone and started scrolling through it. Wait, Sougo had Muzai's phone number? Why didn't Hijikata have it? If it was public knowledge, and the uh, case, and stuff... _Hijikata _was supposed to be watching her, not _Sougo_. Hijikata washed his bowl, and instead of leaving, found himself walking back to Kondo's side.

His damp hands made the filter of his cigarette a bit soggy, but bearable. The vice commander sat down between Sougo and Kondo; staring at the phone. He ignored when the two glanced at him, and a dial tone sounded. Curiosity was a hard thing to shake...

Soon, the line clicked, and nothing but silence could be heard. Kondo and Sougo simultaneously greeted the quiet, and Hijikata frowned at them. No response...

"No, get the sugary kind." Casually stating his choice, Sougo continued to watch the phone. Confusion settled over Hijikata as Kondo spoke.

"Sougo, if she wants the cheesy kind, let her get it!"

"She's not even talking!" Unable to help himself, Hijikata interrupted the pair. He crossed his arms as the two men peered at him with raised eyebrows. As if he was missing something. Sougo shook his head.

"You can't understand her?" The captain asked and Hijikata rolled his eyes.  
"_What? _You _can?" _This had to be a joke. This was utterly ridiculous.

"She's at the store buying popcorn for our movie." The men answered in unison, and Hijikata felt his eyes widen at the sound of a familiar beep. As if on cue, he could hear a checkout line. Okay, this was just stupid. That made no sense! How could they know something like that? Frowning, Hijikata stared at the phone in disbelief.

"Yeah- You said it, Zai-Chan!" Kondo chuckled the words, and Sougo started to snicker under his breath. But Hijikata hadn't heard anything! The commander patted his shoulder, and still, Hijikata could make no sense of the situation. Muzai was on speaker-phone, yet not talking. Still they interacted with her as if she was.

"He's not very receptive." Sougo nodded, still looking at the phone.

Was Muzai making fun of Hijikata? Why couldn't he understand her? Nothing made sense anymore... Shaking his head, the vice commander pushed himself to his feet. He was too tired for this. The man started away, leaving Kondo and Sougo to... Do whatever they were doing. Behind him, the captain started to chuckle.

"If you bring the bottle, you can't drive home. We _are_ cops, after all. I'll set up a futon in my room."

Pausing, Hijikata stared straight ahead. He slowly turned to peer over his shoulder, only to find Sougo smiling at him. That was a bad sign. The captain's expression was devious, and Kondo was too innocent to understand.

"Great idea, Sougo! I didn't even think of that!" The older man said, and Hijikata felt like palming his forehead. Frowning, the vice commander held Sougo's eye contact. The captain challenged him with his crimson irises, to say anything. Kondo was going to let Muzai sleep and Sougo's room? Both men said "bye" in unison, as if she had spoken and the line went dead.

He couldn't deal with this. Hijikata didn't have the energy to waste on Muzai. She had made herself clear before; he could be nothing more than a random lay to her. Hijikata had no idea of a woman could be so loose with men, and not be able to speak. That was ridiculous. Whatever the case, the vice commander decided to give up on such an absurd fantasy. Especially if it always ended with him being thrown away.

Turning away, Hijikata offered a brisk wave over his shoulder.  
"Have fun." Muttering the words with a bit more venom than intended, the vice commander left for his room. He had no reason to be upset or even curious. It was none of his business; he was just tired. That's all. Just needed some sleep. His room would be comfortable; there was nothing to stop him from sprawling out and sleeping in his boxers. He was glad Muzai would sleep with Sougo. Saved him the trouble of… Well, everything. So, yeah. Hijikata was happy; relieved. Good thing he didn't have to take care of that idiot.

* * *

In the middle of the night, after Hijikata had fallen into a deep dream he heard his door open. At first, the vice commander disregarded it. He figured one of the men had mistaken his door for their own; wouldn't be the first time. Most men had a tendency to make small mistakes when their minds were clouded with sleep. Hijikata's door closed, and he drifted back into a dream.

It wasn't until his covers were pulled back, and a warm body crawled over his that he opened his eyes. There, on top of him, sat a smirking Muzai. She was barely visible with the small amount of moonlight that managed to find its way through his window. Frowning, Hijikata squinted through the darkness. Still, what he saw remained the same.

"Muzai?" As soon as the man spoke, he was met with a light giggle. The woman leaned into him and whispered a response.  
"Who else?" As she spoke, she placed a hand on Hijikata's bare chest to hold herself up. He still hadn't lifted himself from the floor. If anything he was too stunned to do so. Obviously, the woman had lost her mind. She didn't even seem to notice the fact that he barely had any clothes on. Muzai's free hand wandered to the belt of her yukata and she slowly pulled the fabric open. Confusion settled over Hijikata, and he stared at the glimpses of skin that were coming into view as Muzai tugged at her collar. Sitting up, the vice commander gawked at the unpredicted motions.

"Oi! Wh- What are you-" The words were cut off by a pair of eager lips, which seemed to sweep the man up with the soft touch of a woman. Utterly confused, Hijikata gripped Muzai's shoulders- to push her away of course. Who the hell thought it was okay to greet and wake somebody up like that?! Hijikata wanted to tell Muzai that she was drunk and he could taste the alcohol on her lips. That she probably had a drinking problem. After all, she _had_ been drinking wine earlier. When he nudged the woman back, she placed a hand over his, and one to his jaw. The vice commander halted, as she had her way; unsure of what to do. Still, though he felt himself breaking, he had to halt her indecent actions. They were… Indecent! He tried to push himself away; to completely refuse the woman. But the moment she sat on his lap he felt the urge to do something else…

Hijikata couldn't help but kiss her back. Muzai's hands started to trail over his skin, leaving no room for escape or denial. The pressure within Hijikata tried to coax him into alternate methods of "stopping" Muzai. He tried to fight, but she was too strong; metaphorically, at least. Of course, he could overpower her; that wasn't a question. The real question was whether he was willing. Fire consumed him, and in a matter of seconds a groan forced its way past his chest.

When Muzai started to move against his lap, another noise was pulled from within the man, and he started to oppose the evil temptress that had let herself into his room. He pushed her back, and managed to scoot away from his futon.

Covering his mouth, Hijikata glared at the pouting woman that held a very familiar, undoubtedly evil expression.

"Wh- What the hell is wrong with you?! You can't just-"

Silenced by a thumb, which grazed over his lower lip as Muzai crawled towards him, Hijikata stared at the woman wide eyed. She didn't seem to mind the fact that the man was barely dressed, and her hands grazed over him through his boxers. If that wasn't enough, she had clearly just glanced at his boner. Fuck. Damn involuntary reactions… being all... Involuntary and shit... Really, he wasn't thinking anything like that- she was just- it had nothing to do with her… Really. The vice commander awkwardly remained in place as she used his shoulders to raise herself and meet his ear.

"Shh, they'll hear you… Just lay back… I've been wanting to thank you for being such a brave man… You know how you saved me when we first met? That-"

Wondering what to do, Hijikata felt his face begin to burn. Muzai crawled back over her lap, and seated herself as if there was nothing wrong with him pressing against her through the thin fabric of his boxers. Oh god, he was losing… So badly… Hijikata was practically frozen. Muzai had started to kiss a line up his neck, and took care to stimulate him with the friction of her body against his. It was all Hijikata could do to fight off a loud groan as she slowly circled her hips around him. So close… The vice commander leaned back onto his elbows, trying not to writhe against her as she deliberately teased him. Muzai's lips grazed his ear and warm breath caused goose bumps to raise on his skin as the woman spoke.

"-That really turned me on… I've been wishing you would take me every day since then… I just love how strong you are… Let me show you how much…" Powerful words when accompanied with the woman's motions. Her voice pushed Hijikata over the edge and before he knew what he was doing, he was tearing her yukata away; pulling the fabric down her shoulders and attacking her neck with his mouth. A small moan escaped Muzai, and she grabbed him as his hands trailed up her thighs. He couldn't stop himself. He had to have her; even if every man in the Shinsengumi heard.

Grabbing hold of the woman's underwear, he slid the cloth down her legs. Muzai helped remove the restraints, yet took care not to break the contact between her neck and his lips. As the woman positioned herself over him, she reached into his boxers and freed him from his cage. Hijikata felt her against him and anticipation built within him. He needed more- so much more. He hadn't even fully removed Muzai's Yukata. As long as the robe was open and he could easily access her skin, it would do. She was teasing him; barely any space remained between them.

The vice commander gripped Muzai's hips and started to push her down. She obliged and he felt himself slowly working into her. A long, low moan urged the man to continue, and he did just that. Muzai's hand's tightened on his shoulders and as the woman started to move above him a low, silent groan was forced into the air. How long had he waited? It felt like years, and he had no idea how much longer he could have lasted. Muzai leaned into him, and her voice barely met his ear. Still the man had trouble concentrating on her words… He was somewhat preoccupied….

"Don't wake up…"

"Huh?" Barely able to ask, Hijikata allowed his hand to slide around the woman's side. He pulled her closer; focusing on feeling every inch of her while he could. When Muzai started to speak again, he felt his surroundings blur. Sensations blended with the dark of night and the woman's low voice. He was pulled from himself; overwhelmed by the mull of stimulation.

* * *

A low groan snapped the man's attention back, and he found that he was laying down. Groggy, Hijikata groaned under his breath. A dream. It was a dream. Nothing had happened. Nobody had come into his room to seduce him, thank god. Then again- Fuck! All of that excitement was false. His own mind had tricked him! He was comfortably resting in his bed; his cheek on the back of his hand. It was an odd position, as the man never bent his arm behind himself to rest on his own hand. The man was laying on his side with his knees bent. A familiar scent hung in the air, and he found himself to be incredibly warm. Almost too warm. Sighing, Hijikata eased his eyes open, only to find that something wasn't right. He was propped farther up on the pillow than usual. His hand was resting against something that moved, and a warm burst of air met his skin in a steady rhythm. Something perfectly rested in the bend of his body; occasionally moving and breathing.

What the fuck?

The vice commander's brow furrowed as he slowly lowered his gaze, only to find a head of chocolate hair resting under his chin. A hand lazily covered the back of his, and held it near a familiar face. A _very_ familiar, _unexpected_ face. Wide eyed, Hijikata stared at the woman that had nestled the curve of his form. Her shoulders were lax, and her free hand rested on the pillow beside her; palm up. Holy fuck, he was spooning Muzai. With a boner. The realization immediately woke the man up. Hijikata's heart started to pound, and he wondered what to do. If he jumped away, Muzai would probably wake up. If she woke up, she would know he was… Shit… He couldn't move! And she was sleeping- she was definitely still sleeping; oblivious to the current situation.

When the hell did she get in bed with him? Hijikata was positive that Sougo had said he was going to set up a futon for the woman. Nevertheless, Muzai was definitely in bed with _Hijikata_. Moreover, Hijikata only had a pair of boxers on. Muzai was clothed; maybe not fully, but she definitely had clothes on. He was positive… Right? But that was skin against his… Where were her clothes?!

Still panicking, Hijikata barely leaned up; just to make sure she had clothes on. She did. Underclothes. Some kind of silky, slip thing. A meter away, a blue yukata laid in a heap on the floor, and Hijikata wondered why she had taken it off. Better yet, why was she in bed with him?! He had to do something, but what? What could he do?

A second of internal chaos passed, until Hijikata remembered Kento's words. The writing on Muzai's chest… Was that true? In the past, the woman had started to pull her clothes off when she was too hot, but he hadn't seen anything. When Muzai was in the chamber, her tank top covered her chest… But, in order to look, Hijikata had to lean up and pull at her clothes. He wasn't exactly prepared to get mauled by a sleeping woman. Muzai looked sort of peaceful, too. It was probably best not to wake her. And it was Hijikata's day off. It wouldn't kill him to let her sleep, or sleep in. If anything, he needed the rest, but he didn't know what to do about Muzai. What if she woke up and thought he had done something?

Well, obviously, whatever was happening was her fault. It wasn't like Hijikata had picked her up and dragged her to his room in his sleep. If anything, it looked as if the woman had intentionally crawled into his bed and made a spot for herself. It also wasn't his fault that he was impossibly hard, and may or may not be pressed against her leg. That wasn't his fault at all. If anything, it was his room; he had the right to… Uh… exercise any body parts of his choice… Not in a weird way, but… It was a muscle and he was…

Oh fuck- he didn't have an excuse. He wasn't getting up though, this was her fault; she was trespassing.

* * *

**A/N: Yay, a new chapter!**

**I just want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all your reviews!**  
**You have no idea how much it means to me :)**

**Hope you enjoyed the update as much as I enjoyed writing it!**


	29. Chapter 29

Later in the day, golden light poured through Hijikata's window. His room was cool; as if somebody had decided to actually use the air conditioning unit he had worked into the budget the previous week. A low sigh escaped the man, and he writhed in his bed, only to find himself slightly confused. His reaction was delayed, but he realized that something was missing. Wasn't there supposed to be a woman somewhere in his bed? He was positive that he had awoken huddled to Muzai a few hours earlier. Now he was alone...

Upon opening his eyes, Hijikata found that the blue Yukata that had been on his floor was gone. A slight tap caught his attention and he sat up, only to find the door closing. She was running away! A second of confusion passed, only to be replaced by annoyance. So she just used him as some sort of a pillow, or teddy bear, and ran off to do whatever? Thoroughly irritated, Hijikata shook his head. That woman was ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous and frustrating. He had things to do, like, work on the case and look into that Yoshi man... Wait, it was his day off.

He could do anything he wanted. If he wanted to go to the sauna or a bathhouse, maybe catch a movie, he was free to do so. Hijikata spent a second thinking about his options before he pushed himself up. The first thing he would do was clean up a bit. He had taken a shower before bed, so basic tasks would suffice. He would get dressed, and figure something out. Then again, paperwork was always a possibility. He could tackle a stack of budgets and past cases that had been put aside to look into the asylum case.

A dark blue yukata was pulled on, and Hijikata grabbed a cigarette as well as his lighter as he made his way to the door. He was still a bit groggy, and knew he needed to comb his hair and wash his face before he could consider himself fully functioning. Sleep hung on the edges of his mind, and clouded his thought with the silken webs of a faint dream that had fallen from his memory. Sighing, the man pulled his door open. The hall was mostly silent, and in the distance, men could be heard murmuring. The moment Hijikata turned towards the bathroom he found a bottle of mayonnaise on the floor at his feet.

Almost tripping over the prized delicacy, the man hopped over it and flailed his arms to catch his balance. Once safely past the bottle, he picked it up. Hijikata held the mayonnaise against his chest and peered around the hall to find the responsible party. Who would do such a thing? To leave mayonnaise unattended and out in the open; defenseless.

As the vice commander turned to continue about his way he happened upon a second bottle. This one was barely visible and could have easily been missed, as it was around the corner. Hijikata stopped to pick the bottle up, only to find another. Some careless being had left such a tasty meal all over the place. It seemed foolish; how could anybody forget their mayo? Well, one thing was for sure, as Hijikata picked up each bottle that was placed in a neat line, he knew he would be the lucky one. He would thoroughly enjoy every bottle to the last drop. He would care for the mayonnaise, and he didn't even have to pay for it. It was his lucky day.

Despite the irritating thought of somebody being so loose with his favorite treat, the vice commander couldn't help but smirk to himself. Some poor bastard had really lost his chance at a good meal. His arms were full of bottles, and he could see one more. Though Hijikata wasn't sure if he could carry another or even pick it up, he knew he would try. He had no idea how many bottles he had found. Fifteen? Twenty? It didn't matter. Each had been carefully picked up and placed within his arms; where they belonged.

Slowly bending over to grab the last bottle, Hijikata froze at the sound of something scraping against the wooden floor.

"Testing..."

Snapping his gaze to the hallway beside him, the vice commander found Sougo holding what could only be classified as a rocket launcher. Without further warning, the captain fired at the wide eyed man. Like a deer in headlights, Hijikata had frozen, but the click of Sougo's trigger was enough to get him moving again. He dropped to the ground, and mayonnaise was launched into the air as the vice commander hit the wooden floor. Wooden boards flew into the air upon being struck with the explosive, and sunlight poured through the new opening beside Hijikata. Peering through his fingers from his spot on the ground, the vice commander scowled at the gun-wielding maniac.

"Sougo! _Damn it! _What the hell was that!? _You're trying to kill me!_ You're _really_ trying to kill me! I could have _died_!"

The sandy-haired captain blankly stared at Hijikata as he jumped to his feet and turned to peer at the hole in the wall. He stepped through the various wooden boards that had mixed with his beloved mayonnaise, and studied the damage.

"This has to be worked into the budget! Someone has to pay for this, you know! It has to be repaired! And the AC! The cold air is leaking out now!"

Sougo remained in place, watching Hijikata as he ranted about his life and the newly opened wall. Well, that wasn't exactly as planned. Apparently mayo would only get him so far. Hijikata seemed more concerned about the price of fixing the wall. A vein had popped out of his neck as he yelled about money and air conditioning. Hijikata commanded Sougo to patch up the wall, but his voice died down. Gazing through the hole, Sougo found what Hijikata was looking at.

Yamazaki was currently playing bad mitten. His back was to the commotion and he seemed to be in his own little world. Well, that happy place was about to become hell.

"**Yamazaki! **What the hell are you doing out there?! Don't you have work to do?! Get over here, you lazy bastard! **Seppuku! **Commit seppuku- **NOW!**"Without so much as another word to Sougo, Hijikata stepped through the opening of the wall, and started toward Yamazaki. The spy paused and turned to face the person calling out to him, only to find a fuming vice commander storming his way.

Wide-eyed, Yamazaki tightened his grip on his racket, and darted in the opposite direction. When he glanced over his shoulder he found Hijikata charging after him; sword drawn. The vice commander bellowed his name, and Yamazaki cried out in surprise as Hijikata swiped towards him.

Ahh, a regular day at the Shinsengumi.

* * *

Hijikata never actually caught Yamazaki. The spy had been too clever and quick on his feet. He had used unorthodox methods to escape. Just as Hijikata had cornered him, he used a smoke bomb; typical. Still, the vice commander had arranged for Yamazaki to patch up the hole in the wall. He had tried to protest, but when offered to patch the wall or commit seppuku with the assistance of Hijikata, his attitude changed. The vice commander had picked up all of the mayonnaise that had been used against him and stashed it in his room before finally making it to the bathroom.

Once Hijikata opened the door, he found Muzai fiddling with her hair. She glanced at him before returning her eyes to the mirror as if nothing was wrong. Immediately nervous, the vice commander hesitated before entering the small room. There were multiple sinks and showers. He could easily brush his teeth and avoid any awkward moments. Still, the woman had some explaining to do. Like why the hell she was in his bed and not in Sougo's room. Well, not that Hijikata was angry; Sougo was known to do anything, and couldn't be trusted. Then again... Hijikata had been barely clothed and vulnerable in his sleep... What if Muzai couldn't be trusted?

As the man walked to the sink, he avoided even looking at the woman. She continued to rake her fingers through her hair, and a toothbrush hung out of her mouth as if she had stopped with the sudden concern of her appearance. Apparently, she had known she would be staying over. When she managed her hair into a messy bun, she continued to brush her teeth; clearly ignoring Hijikata. He decided to do the same, and grabbed his toothbrush to continue about his morning ritual; though it was a bit later than usual. As he drew a line of toothpaste across the bristles, Muzai murmured something that was almost too low to hear. Turning to frown at the woman, Hijikata waited for her to repeat herself.

She still hadn't looked at him, and splashed a bit of water on her face to remove any residual toothpaste. When she finished, Muzai turned the sink off and grabbed a fresh towel. She glanced at Hijikata, only to notice that he hadn't heard her. With clear reluctance, the woman stepped towards him and leaned into his ear. Hijikata placed a hand on the counter top as she repeated herself, only to find himself further confused.

"Sorry about last night."

Frowning, the man turned to gaze at her. Muzai had her hands clasped behind her back, and was peering off to the side of the wooden room. Clearly, she had done something. Something horrible.

"Last..? Wh- What did you do?! I- I knew that dream was too-"  
"Dream? What was it about?" The woman's low voice further flustered the vice commander, and he took a step away from her. Hijikata shook his head as he stammered the word "nothing". He was met with an odd frown, possibly because his face had flushed at the thought of his dream... And Muzai's yukata was open. He hadn't realized it before she turned to face him, but it was definitely hanging open; leaving her to be covered by nothing but her slip. Instead of taking the hint to leave him alone, Muzai stepped towards him once more. She leaned into his chest to whisper, but the vice commander tightly grasped her wrist and spun her around. His toothbrush was abandoned on the counter as he pushed the woman away and towards the shower room.

"Go- Just go! I don't want to know-" That wasn't true. He knew that wasn't true. He _had_ to know.

Muzai awkwardly stumbled forward as the man pushed her away, yet she still turned back around to face him. The woman crossed her arms, and sighed at him. As if that was a valid expression. Even though Hijikata knew it signified her confusion and exasperation, he would not admit to it.

"What did you do? You did something to me didn't you?! What-"  
" Sorry, I couldn't help it..." The low words were barely understood, but once Hijikata processed exactly what the woman had said his jaw dropped. He stared at Muzai with wide eyes as she stepped towards him again. How could she admit to raping him with no remorse?! She just threw it out there, as if it didn't matter. That was kind of a big deal, and she said it like it was nothing. When she was close enough, the woman started to murmur again, and Hijikata willed himself to snap out of his baffled state.

"Really, I didn't mean to... It just sort of... Well, you know... Alcohol... That sort of thing..."

Oh god, she was confessing! She was actually confessing to her crimes, and he was the victim! He had been taken advantage of! He didn't know if he could even call himself a man anymore! What could he do?! He couldn't tell anybody! He couldn't possibly tell anybody what she had done to him!

"I- I knew it! I knew you-"  
"Well... Uh... Did I wake you? Was it... Good?"

The vice commander's face burned brighter, and he shook his head in disbelief. The nerve of that woman! How dare she do horrible things to him in his sleep and ask if it was good!

"I- I don't know! I can't remember it!"  
"Well... Do you want another?"

The low words were terrifyingly direct, and Hijikata tripped over his own feet as he moved to run from Muzai's touch. She had started to lean into him again, but caught herself on the wall as the man managed to catch his balance. He stumbled across the room, as if he was trapped and there wasn't a door beside him.

"No! NO! Stay over there! Don't come any closer! You just- You stay over there! How could you do something like that to me?! Why would you just take it?!" Covering his face, Hijikata almost missed Muzai's confusion as she slowly stepped towards him.

"But... We've kissed before..." The woman's voice grew a touch louder, yet was still equally soft. She continued to approach Hijikata, and he pressed himself into the wall; still trying to make sense of what she had done.

"That's no excuse! You can't just take things! I- I was asleep! What if I wanted to say no?! What if I-"  
"I didn't know you were so serious about kissing. I'm sorry, really."

Once again, Muzai was right in front of him, murmuring and whispering as if she had no voice. Hijikata shook his head as he peered at her through the cracks of his fingers.

"Is that what they're calling it now-a-days? I can't believe-"  
Cut off, Hijikata froze as Muzai pulled his hands away. She frowned up at him, and leaned into his chest as she raised her self to her tiptoes. He was pressed further into the corner as the woman's breath danced over his skin.

"What? What do you think I did? You do know I mean a kiss right? I thought you woke up when I came in, you sat up and looked at me."

Confusion settled over the man as Muzai informed him of what had happened. His brow furrowed at the word, and she paused before continuing.

"I crawled into your bed and you asked if it was me?" The questioning tone was clearly a gesture for Hijikata to nod and say he remembered but he simply stared at the woman as she leaned back to peer up at him. When he didn't confirm her words, she sighed and leaned into his ear again. "When I said "yes" and asked if I could stay in your room you nodded and laid back down. The moment I asked you about a futon, you pulled me into the bed. I figured you were too tired, so I kissed you and tuned over. Gotta admit, you scared me when you started pulling my yukata off..."

Shifting his gaze, Hijikata tried to make sense of her version of what had happened. That was sort of like his dream... But from what he could tell, she sounded honest... Maybe she hadn't done anything. Muzai continued to frown up at him, and he crossed his arms. She was forced to straighten herself as Hijikata tried to push past his flustered state. He sternly peered down at her and narrowed his eyes.

"I knew that... That's exactly what I was talking about." Muttering the lie, the vice commander pushed past Muzai and walked to the counter. Yeah. He didn't really believe she had done anything.

The woman gazed at him through the mirror as he ignored her and a low sigh escaped her. Muzai crossed her arms as if she expected more, but once it became apparent that Hijikata was finished she shook her head. Without so much as a glance, Muzai walked towards the shower. In a matter of seconds, her clothes piled up outside the door, and Hijikata started to groom himself.

He really had overreacted. Of course Muzai wouldn't do something like that! Nobody could sleep through something like that. Yeah. Of course. Time was spent shaving, and Hijikata brushed his teeth. The vice commander combed his hair, and scrubbed his face with soap. All he needed to do was rinse his face and try to forget that horribly awkward interaction. Muzai probably thought he was some paranoid weirdo now. As Hijikata rinsed his face, he heard the shower stop. A bit of soap got into his eyes, and they started to sting. Hurrying to rinse the rest of the cleanser off his face, Hijikata squeezed his eyes shut. The moment he was free of residue, the man turned off the sink and reached around for his towel.

He carefully ambled about the small room, and found the fabric hung on the wall. As the man wiped his eyes, he waited for the burning to subside. The door to the shower opened, and Hijikata peeked from the dark fabric of his towel. Muzai stood in the doorway, blankly peering at him and wrapped in a towel of her own.

It wasn't intentional, but the man's eyes wandered to an attention grabbing line that was darker than the rest of Muzai's skin. She watched him, and tightly held her towel around herself as she tried to follow his line of sight. It was unknown whether she knew what he was looking at; she could have thought it was her chest, or maybe just her, in general. Still, the woman offered a worthy reaction. Her mouth silently formed disapproving words, and she shoved Hijikata away. Obviously, Muzai was both annoyed and flustered. She didn't stop pushing Hijikata until he was on the other side of the door, where she slammed the door in his face.

The vice commander still held his towel in his hands. He blankly stared at the wooden door; stunned at the realization that Kento's words had been true. It looked as if an entire paragraph had been carved into the woman's skin. It seemed improbable; why wouldn't one just run or fight back? Then again, the line he had been able to read was clear. One of the last lines, which was the most prominent with each character. Now, Hijikata understood why Muzai had wrapped one of her shoulders when she attended the men's daily training. It wasn't a small scar, or something that could be easily overlooked. Most likely, anybody that saw it would bombard her with questions.

The line Hijikata had read seemed cruel; more so than carving words into somebody's body. He had read it multiple times during the brief moment before Muzai had frozen, and had continued to do so even after he had been forced from the room. The words circled his mind, replaying, and making him wonder what the faded lines said. What could possibly be important enough to write on a person? And why would anybody want to? Nevertheless, Hijikata contemplated the jagged words, and wondered if he would be able to shake the odd spark of whatever he had felt when he read them.

"_The more you struggle, the deeper I cut."_

* * *

**A/N: Yay another chapter! **

**Thank you all for your reviews_! _Props to Noniebee (4352183) for the awesome awkward Hiji thinking he was raped scene LOL- she's got a great mind. Check out her profile and stories :)**

**MinagiSoryu- I'm glad you got a good laugh out of the last chapter :) Thank you for your kind words- Inspiration did seem to rain down as I started to write this chapter :) Hopefully, more will come, and interesting things will happen between Muzai and Hiji.**


	30. Chapter 30

Over an hour had passed, in which Hijikata found himself unable to clear his mind. It was as if he could do nothing but contemplate the words he had read. The writing on Muzai's chest had swarmed his thoughts, and he tried to rationalize why anybody would want to write on their girlfriend. Obviously, it wasn't a fond memory or relationship. If his assumption about the picture by her bed was right, there were multiple reasons as to why the picture had been face down. Hijikata wanted to ask but he knew he couldn't approach the subject without any sort of warning. If anything, he guessed that Muzai would get frustrated and tell him to never speak to her again.

This was far different from the mood he had been in when he had laid back down. When Muzai had been sleeping in his bed... Well, it was... Different. He didn't exactly have a word to describe it. Comfortable, maybe. He wasn't sure, but once he had gotten over the initial response of randomly finding her in his bed, Hijikata had been able to relax, somewhat. Truthfully, he slightly wished they hadn't gotten up. Maybe if they had slept longer, he wouldn't have seen her scar. It seemed to haunt him; with curiosity, and an odd sense of astonishment. Anger.

But he couldn't be angry with somebody he didn't know, and had never seen. It didn't make sense to hate a dead man. Not that he hated the man, but... It was pretty close... Even as Hijikata ate his breakfast covered in delicious mayonnaise, he couldn't concentrate. His thoughts wandered from trying to find an activity to fill his free day to the words he had seen.

_"the more you struggle the deeper I cut-"_

Leaning his forehead onto his open palm, Hijikata sighed. He couldn't just ask her. Had she noticed what he was looking at? For some reason, he hoped that she thought he was being a pervert. For the first time in his life, Hijikata prayed that he was mistaken for a creep. He didn't even want to admit he had seen it.

All of the time he had known Muzai, even after Sougo had tortured her, he had thought she was just some regular woman; clear, pretty skin, well kept, that sort of thing. But her scar suggested otherwise. Muzai's slip had barely covered it, and made sense now. Previously, Hijikata had silently noticed the odd shape of the robe. The neckline was almost completely straight, and barely low enough to show her collarbone. Though everything she did to cover it was a small gesture, which could easily be overlooked, Hijikata knew better. She had to base everything around the mark. Her entire wardrobe.

The vice commander's thoughts were cut short at the sound of Kondo's voice.

"Of course she did! She's a good daughter!"

The commander's words were met with a chuckle, and Yamazaki was the next to speak.  
"Thank you, Zai-Chan. You really didn't have to wash it!"

Glancing over his shoulder, Hijikata caught sight of the trio. Yamazaki was bashfully scratching his head, and holding the yukata he had loaned Muzai. The woman offered a small smile, and brief bow as a response, and Kondo patted her head. Well wasn't he as fatherly as ever. Completely oblivious to the fact that some man had written on Muzai. The woman wore the slip she had slept in, and stared at the ground as Yamazaki murmured something too low for the vice commander to hear. She nodded in response, and Kondo tilted his head as an amused smile curled Muzai's lips.

How could she still be smiling? It didn't make any sense. It was as if nothing horrible had happened to her. As if Hijikata had imagined the words he had seen. Unable to finish his meal, the vice commander stood up. He would eat later. Just not right now. As the man grabbed his tray and tossed his food into the garbage, he tried not to look towards Kondo or Muzai. It wasn't like he was upset. He really wasn't. He didn't know what he was. It had nothing to do with him- that woman had nothing to do with him, and he reminded himself of that fact as he placed his tray in the stack over the garbage and started towards his room.

It didn't take long for the man to notice light footsteps behind him. Definitely had nothing to do with him. Nothing at all. Still, as the man glanced over his shoulder, he found the last person he wanted to see trailing behind him. Clearly, she had something to say; Muzai silently gestured to him as she approached.

* * *

Before he knew what he was doing, Hijikata increased his pace and hurried towards his room. He didn't want to talk. He had nothing to say; he hadn't seen a thing. He just wanted to go back to sleep. It was his day off; he could do that if he wanted. There was nothing wrong with catching up on lost rest. Still, as the man rushed towards his room, the footsteps behind him quickened as well. Damn it, why was she chasing him in that skimpy little dress thing? God, didn't she know how to be decent? Did she not have any clue that it was inappropriate? Best to wear clothes when in a building full of men?

The moment Hijikata reached his room, he rushed inside and closed the door behind himself. Muzai's footsteps halted on the other side, and the man waited to see if she would further pursue him. It was possible that he had stunned her; slamming a door in her face for no reason and whatnot. He knew that she was well aware of the fact that he had seen her. That didn't exactly obligate him to speak to her though... Maybe he was doing something important. Other than thinking about that silky white slip. Or her chest. Erm... That sounded wrong. Not her chest, per say, but the writing. The writing on her chest.

A second passed, and Hijikata started towards his futon. He wasn't sure whether he wanted to clean it, or lay back down. As the vice commander straightened his covers, he heard a familiar voice; filled with evil intentions.

"Oi, Zai-Chan. Did he just close the door on you?"

Great, Sougo was involved. This was getting worse by the second. Clearly, Sougo was going to manipulate the situation. Muzai would enter the room with an evil plan, and horrible events would transpire. Just the thing Hijikata needed; a brief moment of narrowly escaping death. Wonderful.

"Well, maybe you should come with me, instead. I have a few things to do today; you could be an officer in training. Or a mascot." Snickering resonated within the hall, and Hijikata turned to peer at his door.

"I'll give you another lesson... Hmm, or we could play in the torture chamber again, you liked that didn't you?" A second of silence passed, and the vice commander's brow furrowed.

"Oh? Do you have class today? I'll come with you if you let me pick your outfit. Yesterday, I saw a costume shop a few blocks away from the studio. There was a belly dancer thing; you could probably still dance in it. Anyway, Sachiko-Chan still owes me a thousand yen. You should try using a sword today; get more comfortable with one. I bet you could do the split thing this time. You know- when you tried to-"

Okay, that was it. Muzai was officially grounded, and not allowed to talk to Sougo. This conversation was quickly venturing to forbidden territory, and Sougo was being too casual about it. Hijikata had no idea when he had gone to Muzai's class, or met the annoying hippy, but he was ending the conversation. Now. Before the conversation could progress, Hijikata was at the door. He slid it open and glared at the pair on the other side. They had turned to peer at him, Sougo donning no expression whatsoever, and Muzai obviously curious.

With a tight jaw and puffed chest, Hijikata grabbed the woman's arm. He eyed Sougo, and snatched the woman into his room before slamming the door shut; still glaring at the captain. When the man turned around, he was met with a slight frown. Muzai peered up at him, and he tried to think of a way to rationalize his reaction. Instead of approaching her with an acceptable statement, a jumbled thought pushed itself to the tip of his tongue and forced it's way into he air.

"Don't talk to him!"

Muzai's eyes narrowed and she pointed at her mouth as if to say "wasn't talking, dumb ass". Still, Hijikata couldn't accept that. Sougo was clearly up to no good, and Hijikata would not let the captain start to target Muzai as well as him. Not that he cared about Muzai, but... It was just that Sougo could be extreme and it just wasn't a good idea to be close to him. Yeah.

Shifting his gaze, Hijikata released the woman and crossed his arms. He couldn't help but glance towards Muzai's chest again, and the motion was clearly noticed. Without a word, Muzai slipped a hand over her chest, and he knew he had been caught. She knew that he had seen. There was no way to deny it now. In a brief moment of nervous silence, Hijikata pulled his cigarettes from his coat. He popped one between his lips, and glanced back at Muzai, only to find her in the same position. She had lowered her gaze, yet kept her hand over the spot that the writing remained.

This had grown awkward quickly. Now Hijikata didn't know what to do. He had made her uncomfortable. It was up to him to do something... Maybe say something that sounded effortlessly cool, and lighten the mood.

"So you like to write?"

Oh god, that was horrible! Why would he say something like that?! Damn brain- That didn't even sound good in his head! Muzai frowned at him and her lips parted as if she was mentally scolding him. Her expression startled him more than anything, and the cigarette in his lips nearly dropped. Of course, the man caught it and set to making use of the cancer stick.

Fumbling with his cigarette, the vice commander rushed to light it. The moment he awkwardly flicked his mayonnaise shaped lighter, he found a horrible taste in his lungs. Muzai was eying him with a confused expression and before he knew it, the woman was pulling the stick from his mouth. She held it up, and Hijikata realized his blunder.

His face grew blank as he found that the filter end of his cigarette had been ignited. Great. just great. A light, unexpected tone filled the air as Muzai started to laugh at him. The woman placed a hand over her mouth, and averted her gaze as she chuckled, and a deep-seated scowl took Hijikata's features.

"It's not funny! That cigarette cost thirty seven yen!"

As the man spoke, Muzai's laughter grew louder; she batted her hand at him and offered the cigarette back as if he could smoke it after lighting the filter. Still, he snatched it away; well aware of the fact that it was useless. He needed to play it off. Like he meant to do that.

"They- They smoke better like that! That's the best way to light them!" Lying through his teeth, Hijikata shoved the cigarette back in his pack. He would do something with it later. Muzai continued to laugh at him, and the vice commander felt his face flush. She wasn't stopping. Damn woman... Before he realized what he was doing, Hijikata had stepped against her, and started to tug at the edge of her slip. Muzai immediately grew serious. She smacked his hands away, only to have Hijikata grab her wrists, and firmly hold them together in one hand.

She continued to struggle against him, and he backed her against the wall to halt her motions. Though he didn't expect it, Muzai's voice graced his ears with a panicked, airy tone.

"Stop- I'll scream-"  
"You can't scream. You already told us you can't; in your tape." Muttering the words back, Hijikata met the woman's eyes. Her brows had raised with worry, and she had turned away as if even looking at him would be too much to bear. Ignoring the expression, Hijikata tugged the edge of Muzai's slip down. A stream of words the man could not decipher urged him to release her. Still, he couldn't help but lean into Muzai; reading what he could.

_"Never forget- belong to- forever- the more you struggle the deeper I cut- modest-"_

It truly was an unsightly mark. Ugly in every sense of the word. There was no way anything could draw one's attention from it, and even if something did, the mark would surely claim all focus once more. It was conveniently placed, below her collar bone and running onto her chest. It didn't make sense. And the blotch. There was a blotch over the passage, as if at some point her skin had been scraped away or burned. A smooth, slick blotch that covered a portion of the words, rendering the text indecipherable.

Muzai had stopped moving; allowing Hijikata to trace the words with his eyes as many times as he pleased. He was lost in a sea of questions. Unable to ask, but determined to know. Almost as if on cue, Muzai muttered a bitter line under her breath.

"Are you _happy, _now? Is that _all _you wanted? _Let me go- Get off me_."

Ignoring the venomous tone, Hijikata placed his thumb against the words etched into Muzai's skin. She moved to squirm away from him, yet he pinned the woman in place with his body. Still, she writhed against him and tried to free her wrists from his grasp. When the vice commander eased the fabric of her slip down, Muzai's hand slipped free. She attempted to slap him, and Hijikata barely managed to catch her hand. With a single glare, he had the woman turning her head and pressing into the wall.

"Let go... Let go- Stop-"  
"Be quiet..." Hijikata gently murmured the command, and the opposing force of Muzai's hand was relinquished. The woman halted, and pressed herself into the wall as Hijikata released her wrist. He traced the words with his fingertips, and moved his lips as he tried to comprehend the message. If anything it seemed random; as if there was no true purpose. Muzai placed the back of her hand over her eyes as if the thought of seeing him would shatter her.

Squinting, Hijikata continued to try to make sense of the "erased" words. The woman interrupted him with her usual nonsense, and distress clouded her tone.

"Stop... I know- I know it's ugly, just... Please, just stop looking at me..."

Frowning, the vice commander peered up at Muzai. She hadn't bothered to even glance at him. The woman seemed to have accepted defeat.

"Did you... Do this? Burn yourself? Did you try to erase it?" Hijikata was met with a brief nod, and slowly mirrored the motion.  
"Just leave me _alone_- please, go _away_. I- I know it's... Horrible... It won't fade."

The vice commander raised an eyebrow and continued to peer at Muzai. He gripped her arm, and she tried to resist when he pulled it away.

"It- It's not that bad..." If anything, he knew he needed to reassure Muzai. Insecurity seemed to pour from her expression; bubbling over. She frowned at him, clearly caught off guard by the words.

"Really, it's not that bad. Just... Surprising... It looks like it hurt... Well, of course it did, but..." Locking his gaze to the woman's hazel green irises, Hijikata released her. She seemed shocked, and her guard fell as well as her defensive arms.

"I- I see it every day, I know what it looks like." The murmured words shifted her gaze, and Hijikata nodded once more.

"Yeah... But you tried to burn it off?" His question earned a single tilt of the woman's chin; a confirmation. Sighing, Hijikata shook his head in unspoken disapproval.

"Something this small couldn't affect your appearance..."

As Hijikata spoke, he leaned into the writing on Muzai's chest. He was lying, obviously, and it was a difficult thing to do. Still, compared to the truth, it was the best option. The man's lips pressed into the carvings, and Muzai tensed at the contact. It was too gentle... If one lie was all it took to make her feel better, Hijikata had no choice. Raising to the woman's lips, he brought his hand to her jaw. She leaned into his touch, and her palm slid up the dark blue fabric of his yukata as his lips grazed hers.

"It's not a big deal... You have no reason to be self-conscious. With or without that tiny mark, you're still beautiful."

A soft kiss slipped across their lips, lasting mere seconds, but spiking Muzai's heart rate. Hijikata pulled away, and his fingertips trailed down the healed wound once more as the man turned to the door. The brief contact revealed the fact that Hijikata's words had caused Muzai's heart to race.

"It's my day off. I'm going to find something to do before Nightfall." A slight glance and wave was offered over the vice commander's shoulder, and he noted that Muzai's face was beet red. The woman was fiddling with her fingertips, and staring at the ground. It was an awkward slightly innocent stance, and a smirk tugged at the edge of Hijikata's lips as he exited the room.

* * *

**A/N: Yay new chapter! Now, off to work!**

**Quickly before I go though, thank you all for your reviews!**

**Strawwwberrylollipop- Thank you :) I want to reply to everything you said, but I'm strapped for time right now. Just want to say your review means a lot to me, my writing improved because of your last review, and criticism. :) I really started to try harder, and I noticed that each story I've written since then has been much better than the last. :) Thank you so much, and I hope you enjoy the rest of this story :)**


	31. Chapter 31

As Hijikata contemplated what he would do with his day, he stepped into his office. An oddly wrapped package caught his attention and the vice commander walked to his desk. He picked up the rectangular package, and turned it over in his hands; eying it. The neatly wrapped brown paper around it crinkled under the weight of his fingertips as he pulled the string holding the package captive. The vice commander carefully unfolded the edges of the paper, and black plastic came into view. A white note with computer typed characters fell from the package and floated to the ground.

Hijikata frowned as he picked the paper up, and shifted his gaze between the package and the note.

"Take a look."

With a furrowed brow, Hijikata eyed the tape. It was unmarked, and offered no clue as to what it might be. Only one way to find out.

As Hijikata walked to the TV room, he continued to study the mysterious tape. The man wondered what it could be, and didn't stop until he reached the community television. When he entered the room, he wasted no time in pushing the tape into the VCR. The first thing he saw was static. Immediately after that, the screen started flashing between black and white and colors. Bright orange light consumed the halls and the picture flipped between views.

The location was vaguely familiar, and as Hijikata frowned at the multiple writhing forms below, realization crossed him. They were people. All wore white tank tops and black boxers, or underwear. Complete chaos filled the rooms, and as each was displayed, all Hijikata could make out was clear violence. Until the screen flashed to an empty kitchen.

A nurse entered the room, followed by two patients; one male, one female. The female had yellow hair, and the male was brunette. The nurse was also a blonde, and they all seemed to be engaged in some sort of conversation. There was no sound. Grins and light laughs were exchanged, and the nurse walked to the refrigerator. The female patient sat on the counter, and as the nurse peeked inside the refrigerator, she carefully slid a drawer open. A butcher knife was produced, and quickly hidden behind her back as the nurse turned around.

She held what appeared to be a small vial in her hands, possibly medicine. As she turned to a drawer, the male patient grabbed her. He covered her mouth, and the woman froze. She carefully placed the medicine on the counter, and gripped his forearms. Words were exchanged, and Hijikata watched as the nurse started to struggle. The man's grip on her grew tighter, and the female patient lowered herself to the ground and placed the knife to her throat. A second of conversation passed, and the knife was exchanged between the patients. The nurse was dragged from the room.

As they left, the female patient set to searching the shelves. She produced a saucepan and some form of cooking oil. Hijikata watched as she hurridly started the stove and heated the liquid. She continued to look over her shoulders, as if she was positive that she would be caught. The woman searched the drawers, found a pack of matches, and walked to a phone. She started to dial some numbers and the camera flipped to the stairwell.

"Emergency evacuation." The words were growled in a deep baritone, and a frantic voice answered.

"Please- okay- I'll do it, just let me go-"  
"Enter the code." The man answered, and he pushed the nurse towards a panel with a single red light. She stammered a response which was too high pitched and frantic to decipher, but a single word or name that Hijikata thought he had heard caught his attention. The nurse started to press buttons with a single outstretched finger, and once she finished, multiple snaps sounded. The lights died, and camera went fuzzy. All went dead.

A second passed, and the vice commander stared at the screen, wide eyed and frowning. Black and white replaced the picture, and a blood curdling shriek poured from the speakers of the TV. Hijikata watched as the man shoved the nurse under the stairs, and no more was heard. The man walked away. Pausing the tape, Hijikata reversed it to the line of unintelligible babble from the nurse. If he was right, that was a key piece of information.

He played it, again, and again- trying to pick out what he thought he had heard. "-Sama", "-Sama", She was definitely using an honorific. One too high for any other... Hijikata's suspicions were confirmed as he listened to the woman for what seemed to be the hundredth time. The word "-Sama" echoed repeatedly, until he understood. Hijikata realized exactly what she had said, "Please don't do this! Don't hurt me, Yoshi-Sama!".

He found it. But who would sent him this tape? Fast forward; hot grease carried up the stairs, and tossed onto waiting furniture. Carpets ignited with the help of grease and matches. The wards were opened, and fires started in unison. One on each floor, the woman on the third, the man on the second. Entrances were blocked by flames, and Patients had left their rooms; free, but panicking. The culprits were dashing down the halls, gathering a few choice people. But why? Why not escape first? A group of no less than ten was gathered, and Hijikata heard the voice of two women.

"The mute one- What about her?! Should we take her?!"  
"No- Leave her! She couldn't handle this!"

Before Hijikata's eyes, the group was almost gone. Fights were breaking out; the cause was unknown. The halls were swarmed with people, and the groups were reduced; fighting their way through. Multiple names were yelled, but the people were left. The groups would not stop to help their friends. If one was grabbed or injured, they were left. Men were "capturing" women. Clothes were being ripped, and Hijikata cringed at the indecency. He didn't want to watch this. All hell was breaking loose. The tape skipped to the entrance, and people were seen running through the halls. The group from before; covered in blood. Moments after they left, a woman ran to the exit and watched the door close. Flames surrounded her, and she glanced at the multiple corpses around her; holding her arms to her chest as if they would touch her.

Still, she rushed to the door, and started to tug at it. It was locked. She tried to pry it apart with her fingers, which apparently only resulted in hurting herself, as she brought her nails to her lips. Despite that fact, she pounded on the door, as if she would receive help. None came. With no other choice, the woman started back towards the hallway. Multiple groans could be heard over the crackling flames, and from the looks of things, the bodies terrified the woman. Each sound caused her to jump, and as her walking pace turned to a skittish jog, the camera flipped to the next hallway. She entered a room, and another form slowly came into view; stumbling after her. A large male. Yelling could be heard; clearly that of a man, and loud footsteps sounded.

The camera flipped to the entrance, and Hijikata watched as four people escaped. The rest of the group had been left. The door remained slightly cracked. Once again, the woman was on the screen; exiting the room she had entered. She was covered in blood, and holding a knife. She looked both ways as if she was crossing a street before dashing down the hallway. Apparently, the fire wasn't her main concern. Escaping the people was.

A new view was shown as she rounded the corner, and immediately tripped. Over the cackling fire, a low voice could be heard, and the woman was dragged backwards. A hand was around her ankle, and she turned over to peer at a stack of writhing corpses.

"Muzai- Help me..."

The woman froze as a person raised from the mass and again dragged her towards the bunch. The man on the ground crawled towards her, and a slimy pile of what looked to be intestines followed him. He inched to the woman, of whom appeared to be stunned. She didn't move when another person grabbed her. Before Hijikata knew it, she was being dragged in opposite directions. People were calling out to her, asking her to help them, and more hands joined in.

The vice commander intensely stared at the TV, willing Muzai to do something. Another person grabbed her; this one in a different pile. People crawled to her; leaking blood and deformed. Something was wrong with everybody.

Finally after being tugged, groped and utterly horrified, Muzai screamed. It was a blood curdling, terrifying sound, and she kicked at the people grabbing her legs; still shrieking. The knife she held was used to pin a hand that had been around her wrist to the ground, and the woman fought off another round of hands.

"G- Get off! No-" It sounded as if she was being murdered. Muzai cut and kicked. She scrambled to her feet, and dashed away. All Hijikata could do was watch. He wished he had gotten there earlier... He could imagine what such an experiance would do to a civilian. But fromthe way Muzai was, he couldn't tell if she was traumatized. When she spoke, it was never about the asylum. She could turn her emotions off, and wore no expression in public. When Muzai reached another hall, she was pulled into a room. The camera didn't show. Hijikata stared at the screen wide eyed, as a series of low voices and banging filled his ears.

Good lord what was happening?

_"Doctor-"_

That was Muzai's voice. Oh god, why did she sound like that? Anticipation built within Hijikata as a man commented on her speech. He told her to let him check her and the vice commander's heart pounded as Muzai's voice grew louder. She protested, and the man shouted. He was shoved out of the room. Muzai followed him and before he could react, she had the knife in his throat. The woman seemed to lock her eyes to his, and without a word, she let him go. He slid to the ground; covering his neck. Muzai backed against the opposite wall; watching him and cradling the knife.

The woman pulled her hands to her chest, as if she was unsure of what to make of the situation. The scene flashed black and white, and words slowly appeared.

"Central security- In regard to the stolen tapes. Back up was sent to you per the request of Happy Meadows- the happiest place alive!" An eight hundred number flashed on the screen, followed by a smiley face. Really appropriate.

The tape died now, and Hijikata knew he needed to show Kondo. Muzai hadn't given the whole story, then again, nobody ever does. But she had done more killing than claimed. Pressing the reverse button, Hijikata pulled his phone from his coat. He placed a cigarette between his lips, and lit it as he pulled Kondo's name up on his phone. With the press of a button, the dial tone sounded. As soon as Kondo answered, Hijikata found himself barely able to contain his excitement.

"Kondo-San! The tapes- Someone sent the tapes to us." Though he tried to sound calm and collected, Hijikata barely managed to do so. Kondo seemed to pause for a second, yet offered an equally thrilled response.

"Really? That's great Toushi! Did you find any clues?!"  
"Yeah. I did. You should come check it out." Taking a drag of his cigarette, Hijikata willed himself to not shout through the phone. No, he had to be rational. Nobody was rational when they were excited. Plus, Muzai was more of a murderer than he had thought. Something would probably have to be done about that. Then again, it mostly looked like self-defense. That could probably be overlooked.

When Hijikata requested Kondo's presence, the man grew silent. A moment of hesitation passed and Hijikata glanced at his phone. The commander was still on the line...

"Ehh, Toushi, I'm kinda busy right now... I had a bit to drink last night, and my stomach was feeling all gurgle-y... Uhh, I'm gonna be stuck in the... Bathroom... For a while..."

Frowning, Hijikata couldn't help but feel awkward. That was a bit more than he needed to know. Had he really just been talking to Kondo while he sat on the toilet? Not a pleasant thought.

"Oh, uh... Right... Uh, yeah... Have... Fun..." Without another word, Hijikata snapped the phone closed. Conversation over. And "fun"? Really? That's all he could think to say? Just terrific.

As the vice commander waited, a figure appeared in the doorway. He glanced up from the TV, only to find Muzai leaned against the doorframe. She didn't look at him, but clearly wanted to speak. Standing up, Hijikata walked to her side, and offered his ear. His hand slipped over her silk slip and to the small of her back as she gripped the collar of his yukata. Hijikata took a slow drag of his cigarette as Muzai seemed to hesitate.

"If... If it's your day off..." The woman paused, and Hijikata stared at the floor as he waited for the latter half of her sentence.

"I- Would you..? I'm... the park today... and... if you wanted... I wouldn't mind if..."

"The park?" Understanding her request, Hijikata leaned back to peer at her. Muzai stared up at him and offered a brief nod as she averted her eyes. She started to fiddle with the blue material of his Yukata as if there was nothing else to distract herself with and Hijikata mirrored her nod.

"Maybe later. I just got another lead on the case."

Muzai paused and frowned up at the vice commander before slowly nodding.

It couldn't be helped. He had work to do. They had been looking for more information and that's exactly what Hijikata had. The Shinsengumi came first. As Hijikata moved back to the TV he didn't notice when Muzai awkwardly slid a hand up the outside of her arm. She raised one leg; sliding it along her other as she shifted her gaze. The woman bit down on her lower lip, trying to think of what she should do. Hijikata was completely ignoring her... He continued to rewind and write on his notepad.

Minutes passed, and the man seemed to have completely forgotten her. Shifting her gaze, Muzai shook her head. She slowly turned and walked away. So much for "day off".

* * *

**A/N: Hmm, I don't really think Hiji realizes that he just turned down a date... *facepalm***

**Thank you all for your reviews!**


	32. Chapter 32

Hours had passed. Hijikata and Kondo had done nothing but analyze the newest addition to their small pile of evidence. It was unknown, the numbers of times they had played the tape. More than anything, the two wondered who had sent them the information. Nevertheless, they were one step closer to understanding the motive, and apprehending a criminal. Pausing the tape after the blonde nurse's screams, Hijikata turned to the commander.

"Right there, did you hear that?" The vice commander asked, only to receive a slow shake of Kondo's head. Sighing, Hijikata reversed the tape. Pressing play, he pointed at the TV as the woman screamed again. He quickly paused it, and reinforced his pointed finger as the commander raised an eyebrow.

"Doesn't it sound like she said 'Yoshi-Sama'?"

Kondo frowned and shifted his gaze to the TV.  
"I just heard a yell..." He murmured the words, and Hijikata shook his head.

"No, Listen closely- you can hear the 'sama' clearly but she says it too fast to catch the name if you're not focusing." The tape was rewound and started once more. Kondo and Hijikata watched in silence as the scene unfolded before their eyes again; not even flinching at the woman's terrified cry. A moment passed, and Kondo sighed.

"You may be right. I'm sorry Toushi, I just can't hear it. I heard the Sama, but the rest is too fuzzy..." Pausing, Kondo placed a hand on his knee. He shook his head, and Hijikata sighed.

It was so clear to the vice commander... A hand landed on Hijikata's shoulder and he peered at Kondo, only to find the commander had donned a worried expression.

"Listen, Toushi... I know this case is big, but don't get so worked up over it. It's hard not to- a lot of people perished, but we have to keep calm. Sometimes, when we want answers, our minds like to make them for us. I'm not saying you're wrong, but maybe it's because Yoshi seemed suspicious to you. It's nothing to be ashamed of- you're just trying to get justice for those poor people. It's better to be that way than to not care at all. Maybe you should get some rest."

Frowning, Hijikata stared at the commander. Kondo was trying to be encouraging, but that wasn't what Hijikata wanted to hear. He had watched the tape so many times that the woman's voice made perfect sense. Clearly, she was calling her accoster "Yoshi-Sama". Whom else would she call "Sama"? Only somebody that was of a high rank.

"I'm not tired... I got plenty of rest..."  
"Cuddled up with Zai-Chan." A voice in the doorway caught both men off guard, and they turned to peer at Sougo. The sadist was blowing a pink bubble of gum, and pushing headphones into his ear. They appeared to be plugged into his sword.

Wide-eyed- Hijikata gawked at the ever-so-calm sadist.

"What?" Kondo asked, frowning at the captain.  
"S- Sougo!" Unable to help himself, Hijikata shouted the captain's name. As Hijikata spoke, the captain's phone began to ring. Kondo was still eying Sougo; waiting to rehear what he hoped he had misheard.

Sougo pulled a headphone from his ear, and glanced at his phone after taking it from his pocket. An invisible frown of curiosity crossed him, as he flipped the phone open. Sougo greeted the caller, as Kondo and Hijikata continued to eye him.

"Oh? Is that so? ...The doctor? Sure. Can you pick him up? Hmm... Yeah. Is he breathing..?" Sougo paused and turned to the side, staring down the hallway as he listened. Kondo and Hijikata exchanged curious glances as the captain murmured into the phone; acting as though they weren't there.

"Sachiko's an idiot. Alright, I'm coming... No, Hijikata-san is busy. I'm on my way."

When Sougo closed the phone, he glanced towards the two men that were staring at him with obvious frowns.

"I'll be back." The captain stated, and Hijikata's frown grew deeper.

"Wait, aren't you gonna tell us what happened?"

Sougo paused, and eyed Hijikata for a second. He tilted his head, and glanced towards Kondo, only to find the same curious expression. The commander was eagerly staring at him; obviously hoping to hear more. Straightening his stance, Sougo turned to face the two. He stuck his hands in his pocket, phone and all, and blew a bubble with is gum.

"Zai-Chan asked me to help take her dad to the hospital."

Alarm crossed the two men in front of the TV, and they continued to eye him. A second of silence passed, and Hijikata shook his head.

"And? What happened? Is he okay?"

Kondo asked a similar question, only, the nature of his inquiry was Muzai's well being.

"Well, Kento didn't want to eat again, and didn't eat his dinner last night. Zai was going to take him to the park, and when she left the room, he tried to get himself into his wheelchair- to prove a point. He fell out of his bed."

Still frowning, Hijikata stood up.  
"Does she need help?"

The commander stood as well, yet Sougo shook his head.

"No, she just needs me. I can pick one man up. You can finish watching your little tape." Leaving it at that, Sougo walked away. Hijikata stared after him; befuddled. For what seemed to be no reason, the vice commander was unexpectedly angered. He could not explain why, and as Kondo started after Sougo the vice commander felt irritation pulse within him. Of all people, why would Muzai call Sougo?

And how the hell could Sougo know what was going on if Muzai never spoke?!

Pulling his phone from his coat, Hijikata glanced through his call log. She hadn't even called him. Why would Sougo be her first choice? It didn't make sense! Muzai hadn't even attempted to contact Hijikata! All she had to do was call the Shinsengumi number, and ask for him! Uh, if she could talk. Nothing made sense! Kondo could be heard talking to Sougo and the vice commander glanced at the TV. It remained paused; mid scream.

Hadn't Muzai asked him something earlier? What had she wanted? Had she been telling him about this? And he just ignored her? Holy shit- Hijikata was possibly an asshole. Maybe a douche bag. Well, he was a cop; cops cleaned the streets. Douches cleaned. He was a douche bag! Fuck!

Then again, that had happened hours ago, and she hadn't said anything afterwards. She probably didn't have anything to say...

Still, Hijikata couldn't ignore the possibility that he had missed something. Obviously, Muzai needed some sort of help, and it was his day off.

Glancing at the TV, Hijikata studied the frozen black and white scene of the blonde nurse. He had watched the tape so many times that he doubted he had missed anything. And it was his day off. Only one day a week. Muzai had hidden bits of what had actually happened. He had to ask her about what had happened. Laziness could not be tolerated; if anything was for the good of the Shinsengumi or the case it was acceptable.

The vice commander knelt in front of the TV and turned it off before peering at the empty doorway. If he didn't move now, Sougo would leave and be in Muzai's apartment. Practically alone. Sougo would help her through some sort of difficult time, and she would possibly grow closer to the sadist. They were already close... Hijikata had to stop them. It was his duty to protect the general public from criminals. And sadistic captains. Moreover, the vice commander had questions that only Muzai could answer. Preferably alone without her hanging all over Sougo, or whatever she was intending to do.

After pressing the power button on the VCR, Hijikata quickly rose to his feet, and started down the hallway. Kondo and Sougo could be heard talking, and while Hijikata tugged at the collar of his yukata (as if he needed to readjust it), he caught sight of the two.

"Was she upset?"

"Well, she thinks he hit his head. About as upset as any frustrated live-in nurse that doesn't know how to fix anything." Sougo's words were spoken with no expression; simply stated as if he had been talking about the weather or a piece of litter. The moment Hijikata reached the men they peered at him. Silence fell over the wooden hallway as the vice commander shifted his weight.

His gaze fell to the sturdy floor beneath his feet, and he ran a hand through his raven hair. The urge to light a cigarette ticked within him, as nagging as a clock.

"You two are on duty..."

The obvious was stated, and the two uniform clad men simply stared at him. Okay, maybe that wasn't an amazing observation... Moving on.

"You should keep your patrol routes, I'll take care of whatever's going on. Plus, I know where she lives."

Shaking his head, Sougo met the vice commander's eyes. The ghost of a smirk tugged at his features, and he moved his hand to the side; palm up as if he was displaying his opinion of the situation.

"Don't worry about it. I know where Zai-Chan lives. In that fancy apartment, with all the neutral colors. It's a nice place. She makes good Somen. I'll probably eat lunch with her at the park."

Frowning, Hijikata allowed his hand to fall from his hair. Kondo gazed at Sougo, and surprise crossed him for a split second before a large grin curled his lips.

"Sougo! Are you going on a date?! Is that a date?!"

The captain remained deadpan. He held Hijikata's eye contact, leading the vice commander to believe that he was up to something. Sougo was definitely planning or doing something. And when the hell had he visited Muzai? When had she made cold summer noodles for him, and shown him around her apartment? Why didn't Hijikata know about this?!

"I wouldn't call it a date, but I suppose it's something like that."

Sougo's answer irritated Hijikata. As if the words were a trigger, the vice commander felt himself swell with anger.

_"Are you ditching your work to fool around?!"_

Practically shouting in Sougo's face, Hijikata leaned towards him. A vein popped from his head as he yelled, and Kondo curiously watched the scene. Sougo remained blank as the vice commander did what he did best. Bitch.

"This is work. We don't just beat people and chase criminals, Hijikata-San. Even you know we help people, and comfort them." It was an unnaturally selfless answer, which only furthered Hijikata's irritation.

"You're supposed to be _working_! Not sitting in parks, eating _Somen_ with _random _women! I SAID I'll take care of it! I'm off today, I don't have anything better to do! And I've got some questions for her! Are you going to interrupt an interrogation!? Are you going to stand in the way of the case?! Are you _trying_ to commit seppuku?! _Huh!?"_

The captain and Kondo eyed Hijikata as he glared at Sougo. Neither said a word, and seconds passed. Seeing that he would get no response, Hijikata untensed. His defensive posture lessened, and he eyed Sougo as he abruptly started past him. The captain responded in kind; still staring into his eyes with an all-too-knowing expression. Nevertheless, Hijikata brushed the look off. Though Kondo was oddly watching him, Hijikata didn't care to glance back. All he needed to do was get to his car.

* * *

As the vice commander reached Muzai's apartment, he tried to list his questions. Obviously she would need to offer more explanation than before. Hopefully, he could get the woman talking again. Whatever was wrong with her father, they would take care of that. Then Hijikata would get some answers out of her.

Stepping out of his car, the vice commander eyed a woman that was entering the building. She was typing a sequence on the keypad, and Hijikata paid close attention to the numbers she pressed.

3382

Simple enough.

He shut the door to his car, and walked to the entrance. Hijikata recited the code in his head as he curiously pressed the buttons, and sure enough, the door snapped open. Without hesitation, Hijikata grabbed handle of the door, and let himself in. That had been easier than he had expected. The man took the elevator and walked to Muzai's door.

As he positioned his fist to knock, and a moment of nervousness passed. For some reason, he didn't want to knock. He knew he had to; he had volunteered to do this. In the same breath, it was almost awkward. Hijikata didn't know why. He forced himself to complete the motion and request access to Muzai's apartment with a few taps of his fist. It only took a few moments for the door to swing open.

Staring at the vice commander was a pair of hazel green eyes. The moment they clashed with gunmetal blue they flicked away; downwards. The woman before Hijikata was dressed in some sort of scarlet sundress. A tan wide brimmed hat had been placed on her head, with a matching red ribbon, and Hijikata glanced over her outfit. It was sort of... Nice. He didn't really know what to make of it, dresses seemed odd for the woman. Muzai gazed to the side, and a low sigh escaped her. It was as if anticipation had been building within her, only to be replaced with the numb tingle of unwelcomed surprise. She placed a hand to her head, clearly frowning as she rubbed her forehead.

"You don't have to be so excited." Grumbling the words, Hijikata pushed past the woman and started into her apartment. Muzai closed the door behind him, and followed the man as he walked to her father's room. The vice commander paid her no mind. He led himself to Kento's door, and as he started to grab the doorknob, the back of his yukata was grabbed. It was an obvious sign to halt, and Hijikata did just that as Muzai tugged him backwards.

Peering down at the woman, the vice commander turned to face her. She was staring directly at the ground, still clutching the blue material of his robe. A question hung in the air, yet neither spoke for what seemed to be forever. When the woman became aware of the fact that she was holding onto Hijikata's yukata she quickly retracted her hand. Her gaze shifted again, and Hijikata felt himself grow annoyed by the lack of eye contact. It was as if their relationship, whatever that may be, had been rebooted. She wasn't looking at him, and moved backwards to put a meter between them.

"What?" Finally, the vice commander spoke, only to be met with silence. Behind him, a man's voice could be heard.

"It's not too bad... Here, let's get you downstairs..."

Frowning, Hijikata glanced back at the room. That wasn't Kento's voice. The man replied to the mysterious extra person, sparking more curiosity within the vice commander.

"Get offa me, I don't need your help. I'm fine!" Frustration laced the words as Kento spoke, yet he was quickly silenced.  
"Don't overdo it. I know you don't want to feel like you need anybody; that's a given... But you need to let me check you out at the office."

Hijikata's gaze returned to Muzai. He raised an eyebrow, yet she didn't show any form of reaction. Another second passed and the door opened. The vice commander turned to face the room. He moved to Muzai's side as a man in khaki pants and a black sweater vest came into view. In front of him, Kento was sitting in a wheelchair; half of his face locked in a sour scowl.

The man behind him smiled at Muzai, and Hijikata watched as she raised her eyes to meet the imposter's. Who the hell wore sweater vests? In summer? In less than a second, Hijikata could tell the man's blond hair was fake. Or maybe he was foreign? That was possible. The man was a bit too tall to be Japanese. He had to be English. Some form of English.

"You can stop holding your breath; he's a-ok!"

Nodding, Muzai gazed at her father. His Japanese was good... He still had a bit of an accent, which annoyed Hijikata. Didn't girls like that sort of thing? Was he American? Crap, Americans were known for their odd ways and morals. It was possible that this man was up to no good. As the vice commander wondered who the stranger was, Kento spoke.

"Missy, you didn't need to call this idiot-"  
"Text." The man corrected, and Kento released an irritated sigh.

"Oi! Hijikata- Arrest him! He's kidnapping me!" Kento's words earned a slight flash of surprise, which was followed by a frown. Hijikata didn't quite know what to say to that...

"Not at all, I'm just gonna take you to the hospital. We'll probably hold you overnight; just to make sure you're okay. You've got to be careful, your body can't handle stress, Ken-"  
"Well how do you think I feel right now!? Damn kids and your medical babble. I don't want to go to the hospital!"

Ignoring Kento, the man continued.

"Zai, you should consider a futon. With such a high bed, you never know when a fall could be serious."

Hijikata watched as Muzai shook her head. Kento started muttering under his breath, as Muzai walked into the room past the men. The stranger watched as she pointed to the bed and window; clearly stating her reasoning. If Kento was on a futon, he would be on the ground. If he was on the ground, he couldn't see out of the window.

Crossing his arms, Hijikata watched as the foreign guy nodded and chuckled.

"Well, it's up to you! I'm just here to offer suggestions!"

Laughing in an oddly irritating manner, the stranger started to wheel Kento to the door. They murmured between themselves as Muzai rushed to their side to hug her dad.

"Don't you like me Kento?"  
"Only when you're in the damn doctor's office. Not at my house..."

Muzai bent beside the chair, and Kento patted her shoulder as the man paused. When their hug broke, the foreigner moved to the door. Soon, Muzai was locking said door behind them. Hijikata had done nothing but watch as it became apparent that he was no longer needed. Muzai glanced towards him as she approached the hall. The woman passed him without a single word, and Hijikata followed her with his eyes.

What the heck was wrong with her? It wasn't like he had shown up covered in the blood of her past pets or something! Well, if she ever even had any pets, that is.

Frowning, the vice commander started after Muzai. She walked to her room and turned to peer at him as she stopped in the doorway.

"Who was that?"

It was the only thing Hijikata could think to say. He figured she was being so quiet because somebody else had been in her apartment, but as seconds passed, it became apparent that she wasn't talking to him. Intensely staring at the woman, Hijikata waited for some sort of hint that she had heard him. He received none. Muzai simply walked to her bed, and plopped down on her stomach. Her arms remained stretched out, and her dress fluttered with the motion before settling just above the bends of her knees.

The vice commander stared at Muzai before entering the room. He wasn't sure of what to say, but he knew he would think of something. The only way to pass speechlessness was to talk.

"So, uh... A copy of the security tapes was sent to me. I watched most of what happened the night of the fire."

No response. Instead of saying a word, Muzai moved one arm and lazily batted her hat from her head. It flopped to the floor, and Hijikata frowned at the woman for a second before slowly nodding. He needed to take a different approach. Walking to the side of the bed, the vice commander sat down. Muzai still didn't move. Hijikata eyed her for a second before starting.

"You killed more than one person. At least two, actually. Why the hell didn't you tell us? You tried to hide it, and that makes you look guiltier."

As the vice commander spoke, he pulled a cancer stick from the sleeve of his Yukata. He had a small wallet bag strapped to his wrist, which was large enough for cigarettes and money. The man propped it between his lips, and Muzai turned to face him; still laying on her stomach. The woman met his eyes for a split second before snatching the cigarette away and plopping back on the bed.

"Oi-" There was no point. Even as Hijikata glared at the woman, he knew she wouldn't give it back right now. Stupid woman and her pole dancing and skimpy outfits. She had the audacity to snatch cigarettes from him and crawl into his bed when he was vulnerable and sleeping, yet couldn't answer his questions?! She was hiding something. He knew she was, and could not let her get away with it.

Standing up, Hijikata felt his jaw tighten.

"Fine. If you're not going to tell me what happened, I'll find my own answers."

Muzai turned to look at him once more, and the vice commander walked to her dresser. Without a word, the man pulled it open and started rummaging through her things. Scowling, the woman jumped to her feet. She dropped the cigarette as she rushed to his side and started to tug at his yukata. He couldn't go through everything- there were private things that he had no business seeing! Just one drawer away- He had to stop.  
Hijikata didn't budge a single inch as Muzai attempted to pull him away from her things. She waved her arms as he sorted through her clothes, only to be ignored. Apparently, flapping her arms would not let her fly away. Or get his attention.

Giving up, Muzai huffed in frustration. She walked back to her bed and sat down; glaring at Hijikata. The man closed the drawer and opened another.  
"Where do you keep all the illegal things?! Guns, swords, drugs; what is it?! Huh?! What do you do?!" The vice commander's words didn't even earn a sigh. He continued to rummage through the new drawer, only to find some rather... Racy things...

Pausing, Hijikata pulled a tiny bit of cloth from the drawer. He held it up and eyed it; unsure of what to make of the black lace. A second passed and realization crossed him. Panties. This was Muzai's panty drawer. And the strings coming from the panties were some sort of garter... Wide eyed, Hijikata stared at the negligee. What should he do?! The man glanced towards his shoulder as if he could see Muzai. She wasn't behind him anymore.

Oh god, this was getting bad... He couldn't let her know he had found them. Hijikata could feel Muzai's eyes on his back, she was watching his every move. And he was holding her... Underwear... The vice commander shoved the fabric back into the drawer, and decided to proceed with caution.

It didn't take long for him to find a small black bag. Hijikata pulled it from the drawer, positive that something was inside. From the weight of the bag, it was drugs. And a lot of them. Muzai was on drugs- probably because of her wild pole dancing life. Turning around, the vice commander held the bag towards Muzai. She frowned at it with wide eyes and placed a hand to her lips as Hijikata shook his head.

"You should have just told me. We could have gotten you some help but you chose to sneak around... Do you know how long I could put you away for this?"

Muzai continued to watch the vice commander; completely silent. He hadn't even opened the bag yet, and was positive that it was something illegal. The woman stood up, and extended her hands as if she was quietly pleading for him to put the bag down. Once more Hijikata shook his head. The man pried the bag open, and Muzai paused as he poured its contents into his hand. Muzai watched as a pair of double A batteries dropped to the floor and rolled around the vice commander's feet. Hijikata was still glaring at her with the most stern expression in the world, despite what he was holding.

All form of expression drained from Muzai's face, and she blankly stared at Hijikata's hand. Her shoulders slouched as if she had burnt out, and Hijikata studied her odd reaction. What was going on? This was the moment that she was supposed to beg for him not to take her away. Perplexion crossed the vice commander, and he slowly glanced at the odd object in his hand.

His eyes widened, jaw dropped, as he caught sight of a baby blue, smooth thing. The cylindrical object had one flat black end. The other led to a slender, rounded point.

Muzai's arms limply hung by her sides as she stared at the vice commander's startled expression. He held her vibrator in one hand, and did nothing but gawk at it before completely freaking out. A cry of surprise escaped the man and he immediately threw the dildo in the air, only to catch it with his opposite open palm. The man tossed the toy back and forth; apparently playing a game of hot potato.

Muzai blankly stared on; not amused. Distress was etched into Hijikata's features and he finally tossed the dildo away with both his hands. The man proceeded to shake his wrists as if he had just washed his hands and was hoping to dry them.

Moving quickly, Muzai jumped in the way of the vibrator and caught it before it could hit the ground. As the woman sighed in relief, Hijikata finally stopped panicking, and straightened his yukata. He could only think one thing- Be cool. Play it off. It never happened.

"Uh, that's what I meant... You could be put away for owning a d-... A di... What's over there?"

Turning to small desk, Hijikata walked away from the drawers. The woman before him crossed her arms; still holding the blue object. Her brow was raised in some sort of mocking expression which Hijikata tried to ignore. The man uneasily pulled a jar from the desk and started to falsely examine it. As he pushed a cigarette to his lips and lit it, the sound of something vibrating filled the air.

Flustered, Hijikata choked on the smoke. He dropped his cigarette and the jar as he started to cough. The glass shattered into a million pieces and from the corners of his eyes he could see Muzai move to her bed. What the hell was she doing?!

The vice commander peered at her as she pulled her phone from the sheets and held it up.

Of course. She wouldn't do something like that with him in the room! Still attempting to regain his composure and silence his coughing, Hijikata reached to pull his cigarette from the shards of glass. As he grabbed the smoke, he felt a sharp edge nick the point of his finger. The man hissed under his breath, and Muzai glanced at him from the screen of her phone. It was the doctor; telling her that everything was okay.

Hijikata swore under his breath, and Muzai walked to her drawers. She picked up her batteries, and the black suede bag he had dropped. After pushing her toy into its resting place and putting it back in the drawer, she walked to Hijikata's side. He was smoking his cigarette and staring at the glass on the floor as if he was lost in a trance.

Sighing, Muzai placed a hand on his shoulder. Hijikata glanced at her with wide eyes. As if he was expecting something crazy to happen. The woman shook her head, and started to pull him away from the desk. Hijikata carefully stepped over the shards, and Muzai sighed once more. She grabbed his hand, and examined the small trail of blood that had formed around his cut. When they reached the door, Muzai glanced up at him.

"Aren't you supposed to be a cop? Calm down." Though her voice was low, Hijikata clearly heard her words. He took another drag of his cigarette, and chose not to respond. For some reason, this was awkward.

* * *

**A/N:** **Credit goes to the amazing Noniebee for helping with this chapter! (You rock!)**  
**If you like this story check out hers!** ** Reuniting with the lost (8747858 ), and Reuniting Makes New Beginnings (9130939 )**. **(Gin/OC)**

**It took a while to post this chapter, I've been a bit busy lately. To make up for it, this is a bit longer than usual. Thank you all for your comments and encouragement :) It means a lot to me, and every time I read your reviews I can't help but smile :)  
**


	33. Chapter 33

In the bathroom, Hijikata stood in front of a sink. Muzai was at his side; still holding his hand. As the woman examined the tiny cut, he studied the room. It was small, but from the warm decor, he could tell the woman had spent time upgrading and embellishing the space. Muzai opened the mirror, which hadn't looked like a medicine cabinet at all. Tearing his eyes from the cream walls of the washroom, Hijikata peered at the hidden shelves. Muzai pulled two small individually wrapped squares from the cabinet, and the vice commander grabbed an orange medicine bottle. He noticed that the woman stopped to watch him as he read the bottle, yet didn't stop.

The prescription bottle was filled to the brim with what appeared to be round white pills, and when Hijikata read the label he had no idea how to pronounce the name.

"What's this?" Still staring at the bottle, the man read Muzai's name.

"Anti-anxiety." Muzai stated as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. She rolled her eyes and pulled the bottle from his hand before shoving it back in place. The woman set to tearing one of the squares she had grabbed, and Hijikata shook his head.

"It said you got it months ago..."

Not bothering to look at him, Muzai nodded again.  
"I don't take them. I told the doctor I wouldn't..." Pausing, the woman pulled a small white cloth from the square. She grabbed Hijikata's hand and kept her eyes low.

"Drugs don't address problems... Just subdue them." With a notably lower tone, she added the last part. Watching the woman, Hijikata pulled his hand away.  
"It's fine.", he insisted, but Muzai met his eye.

Despite the vice commander's calm expression, she shook her head.  
"No, if it get's infected, you'll get gangrene and your hand will be cut off. I heard that Mayonnaise increases the risk of that too."

Frowning, Hijikata eyed the woman.  
"I haven't heard anything like that. Where are you getting your medical statistics? Who told you that?"

Hazel irises bore into Hijikata, and the woman continued to hold his gaze.  
"Shut up. You'll die. Plus, you'll waste my medical supplies." Without further negotiation, Muzai grabbed the vice commander's hand, and pressed the wet towel to his finger. A second passed, and Hijikata stared at the finger in question. Then it hit him. The sting of a thousand tasers rushed through the cut, and the man hissed in opposition. He snatched his finger away, and glared at Muzai, only to find her smirking up at him.

"What the hell is that?! Is that salt?! Lemon juice?!"  
"Does it burn?" Nonchalantly murmuring the question, Muzai dropped the napkin in the trash and started to wash her hands. She seemed immune to the fact that the vice commander was yelling at her. When he shouted, "What do you think", she glanced up at him.

Instead of apologizing or offering the band-aid she had pulled from the cabinet, Muzai flicked the water from her hands on the vice commander. The cold drops landed on his skin, and he glanced at his yukata; side tracked. As the woman dried her hands, she continued to mock him.

"Cool down."

Frowning, Hijikata eyed the woman's back. How dare she.

"What was that for?!"

"You're so high-strung." Muzai stated, and Hijikata shook his head.  
"No I'm not! You're too calm!" He retorted, and Muzai finished drying her hands on the towel. She peered at Hijikata over her shoulder, and raised an eyebrow.  
"Yeah. The one with a cabinet full of anti-anxiety, anti-stress, and sleep medication is the calm one. Makes sense."

Tightening his jaw, Hijikata glared at the woman. Shit. She had a point. But he wasn't wrong! And she had splashed him for no reason. Was that her way of winning? Did that splash make her the winner? That would make sense. She had splashed him, and suddenly, he had no argument. Muzai would definitely do something sneaky like that; just to prove a point that would never be revealed.

Without further contemplation, Hijikata turned the sink on. He glared at the woman before him the entire time as he placed his left hand under the water. Muzai frowned and shifted her attention to his hand; baffled. No warning was offered before Hijikata threw a handful of water on the woman. There. Bigger splash, bigger win. He was victorious. In his mind, he could hear the crowd cheering. Yes. He had done it. He had bested Muzai.

Initially, the woman had looked mortified as she attempted to move out of the way. Of course, she was unsuccessful. Dark patches formed on her scarlet dress, proving the vice commander's domination. He was thrilled to win; the man smugly smirked down at Muzai. She had completely frozen, glaring up at him. He had no idea of what to make of that face, but he was positive of one thing. She couldn't top that. Hijikata crossed his arms in a show of victory. Yep. Walk away.

As Muzai frowned up at the man, she could only think one thing. This meant war. He thought he had topped her. He really thought that he had won because he used an entire handful of water. He had not.

Stepping forward, Muzai grabbed the vice commander's forearm. He curiously frowned down at her, not understanding when she tugged his crossed arms apart. Without a word, she snatched his wallet bag from his wrist. Water damaged cigarettes. She didn't reveal her intentions when he protested. The woman simply threw the bag into the hallway and used the ever-running sink to scoop water up and throw it on him.

"OI!" Holding up his arm as if that would help, Hijikata tried to duck away from the water. He failed. In less than a second later, the man was moving to use two handfuls like Muzai had. The woman slammed her shoulder into his as she tried to prevent his retaliation. All she managed to do was engage the man in a shoving war as they fought for rights to the sink. As they pushed against the other with their sides, they attempted to scoop up more water. The pair fought for the faucet; smacking each other's hands and slapping streams of water towards the other. There was no way to tell whom had done what.

It didn't even take a minute for their clothes to grow speckled with dark spots. The entire time, they bickered. There was no real subject, mostly declarations of winning, and how the other would never stand a chance. The bathroom was filled with cries of "No", and sharp cries of surprise as each attempted to move the other to the best of their abilities. It wasn't until Muzai had an idea that she backed down.

The woman stepped away from the sink, and allowed Hijikata to take control and fill his hands. No explanation was offered as she moved behind the man and towards the shower. Hijikata had barely managed to catch her with a glimpse of his eye. He had peered at the mirror; only to find the woman pulling the curtain back. That brief second was all it took for him to notice.

A detachable showerhead. She thought she could get away with that. That was cheating! They had started this over the sink, and they were supposed to finish over the sink.

The woman noticed that she had been caught when the sink was turned off. She barely turned in time to find Hijikata scooping her up by the back of her legs.

Squeaking in surprise, Muzai clutched the man's shoulders as he lifted her and jumped into the shower. Before she knew it, her back was against the tile wall and Hijikata had pinned her in place. Drops of liquid washed over them; rendering both in equal positions of failure, yet Hijikata was still the winner. He had chosen this; therefore, he was victorious once more. The vice commander's determined expression was too much to bear. By the time they stopped moving, Muzai's legs were wrapped around him to ensure that she was not dropped.

She glared at him for a second as water drenched their clothes and the fabric grew heavy. Hijikata's yukata seemed navy blue, and Muzai's dress maroon. Hands firmly gripped the woman's thighs, even as water trickled down her skin. Unable to help herself, Muzai leaned into the cold tile against her back and laughed. The woman's grip on Hijikata's shoulder grew as she did, and he continued to eye her.

Meeting the man's gaze for a split second, she managed to force words from within herself.

"Wh- Why are you- So- Serious?!"

Still eying the woman, Hijikata lessened his tense stance. Humor escaped him in the form of a sigh, and he watched as Muzai retracted a hand to cover her mouth. Maybe it wasn't so serious. Maybe he had thought a bit too hard. Muzai was barely gaining control of her voice, and the vice commander studied the wet hair that stuck to her skin. If he was too serious, it was worth it. He had never heard her laugh so hard, and even their odd positioning couldn't convince him to change a thing about the moment. It was as if Muzai was a different person every time he encountered her. She grew bolder every day. She was louder, and had more life than he ever would have imagined. The woman was truly a wild card, in every sense of the word.

Unashamed, and unbreakable, yet misunderstood, and so afraid. Of nothing. Maybe it was the world. Better yet, the vice commander knew better than that. She was afraid of messing up. Of mistakes. That would explain her need to be flawless when she danced. It would explain the decor of her home, and her lack of speech in public. She didn't want to say the wrong thing. But with him, she knew that there was no wrong answers. Even if she said or did something he didn't approve of, she knew that he wouldn't patronize her. Not seriously, at least. She feared error, and shied away from anything less than perfection in her own actions and words. And she was driving herself up the wall with her own self doubt.

In a matter of seconds, Hijikata had figured her out. He didn't know what made it don on him. Maybe it was the glimpses he had caught of her in private. The real her. he knew he could be over thinking things again, but he was positive that he was right. It would make perfect sense.

Studying the woman, the vice commander watched as she pushed a lock of hair that had clung to her cheek out of the way. Their clothes were drenched, and warm water continued to pelt Hijikata's side. As Muzai met his eyes, he moved a hand from her thigh. Her legs tightly held onto his hips; proving that the woman was locked in place. A playful grin had curled Muzai's lips, contrasting Hijikata's thoughtful gaze.

His fingertips slid across her cheek; pushing stray chocolate strands from her face. Before the man knew it, his hand had weaved itself into her hair. Random locks fell over is fingers as he paused, just above her ear. With a tilt of his head, Hijikata found himself capturing her lips. If Muzai had hesitated, he hadn't known it. It seemed that the second they connected, the woman was pulling him closer; urging him to lose himself in the faint pressure of their kiss. It wasn't the same as usual. Their motions weren't hurried, or frantic.

Desire obviously weighed on their minds; displayed through their slow motions but there was something more. Hijikata had no idea what it was. He knew it was there, but couldn't trouble himself to analyze it. Muzai's lips moved against his, and their tongues barely touched as if testing the waters. A hand slid up the man's chest, and gripped his yukata as one of the legs around Hijikata's waist slowly found its way to the floor of the tub. Muzai's opposite hand trailed up his neck, only stopping at his jaw. Their kiss deepened as Hijikata's free hand found its way to the small of her back and the woman's leg slowly released him.

A soft moan caught the vice commander's attention when the lips against his vibrated with the sound. Hijikata barely managed to break the contact between them, only to find himself dragging his lips up Muzai's neck. Another groan graced his ears, and he gently sucked a choice spot, just under Muzai's ear.

"God- What are you doing to me? Stop-" The breathlessly low tone belonged to Muzai, and Hijikata knew she was right. What had come over him? How did this happen? Still, he was unable to heed her words. She wasn't exactly stopping him. Though she pushed against his chest, the hand on his neck was inviting him to continue. And he did. It wasn't as if he was ravishing her. He was just... Well, he didn't know. But she liked it.

Nipping the woman's neck, Hijikata tightened his grasp on her dress. As if the nonexistent space between them could be further bridged.

"Hiji- Toshi-"  
For some reason, the man felt excitement pulse within him. He hadn't noticed it, but at some point he had stiffened. He knew that he was pressed against Muzai, barely anything existed between them. As the vice commander pushed his hips against hers the woman purred in satisfaction at his size. This was getting out of hand. They weren't even doing anything-or trying to. No clothes were being removed, there had been no implications of anything further, and he still found himself on the edge of need. What was going on?

When he ground against her once more, Muzai's grip on his yukata tightened. The woman leaned into his hand, and provided more access to her neck, which Hijikata wasted no time in accepting. Her hips moved against this, and when her voice filled the room in the form of a reversed gasp, he could take no more. Muzai writhed against him; trying to push him backwards, yet still pulling him against herself with her opposite hand. The vice commander felt a hand weave into his hair; urging him to continue. He trailed up the woman's neck, pausing at the meeting of her jaw to feel her pulse against the tip of his tongue.

They had to stop. He had to stop. Something had to happen. When Muzai's hands slipped into his yukata, the man knew he had to control himself. He pulled away from her neck, which had flushed from his attention. Though Hijikata knew he had left a mark, he would leave that as a later surprise. He met Muzai's lips once more, and the woman eagerly accepted him. One of her arms wrapped around his shoulders, as his hand fell from her hair to her jaw.

Shit- this wasn't stopping.

Forcing himself from her, Hijikata felt the woman's gravity pull him back for one more. One more kiss wasn't too bad. As long as he stopped. He _had_ to stop. Briefly brushing his lips against hers, the vice commander stepped away. This was horrible. What had he done!?

Covering his mouth with one hand, Hijikata stared at the bottom of the tub. He mentally scolded himself, frowning as Muzai released him and gazed in the opposite direction. Moments of silence passed, as both tried to make sense of the scene. They came to the same conclusion. Not good.

Hijikata didn't even glance towards Muzai as she started to move. The woman had remained in place, leaned against the wall. It was obvious that she was trying to rationalize what had just happened. She offered no warning before stopping the water.

"Don't look... I'm getting a towel..."

Not even contemplating her words, Hijikata turned his back to Muzai. Holy fuck, what had he just done? He knew it wasn't okay. He was dedicated to the Shinsengumi; she had some sort of self-obligations. Just sex was not optional. They couldn't do this. Muzai had a point, when she told him not to come back. Behind him, Hijikata could hear wet clothes drop to the floor of the tub, and the shower curtain move. Seconds later, a folded towel was hoisted over the shower rail.

"You can... Uh... Your clothes... I'll dry them..."  
Glancing at the towel, Hijikata murmured a small thanks. He heard the door to the room close, and light footsteps leading away. What had he been thinking? Even as the vice commander stripped his clothes and dropped them next to Muzai's dress, he was lost in thought. It took a moment for him to realize exactly what this meant. The vice commander paused, and stared at the empty dress on the ground as he dropped his own yukata.

If that dress was Muzai's outfit, and the black fabric he could see under in was her... Under-outfit... Was she? Did that mean that he or she would be naked? Oh god. What had he done?!

Just as panic settled over the man, a light tap against the door stole his focus. The door in question slowly opened, and a yukata was thrown over the shower rail.

"It should fit you." Leaving it at that, Muzai was gone again. Hijikata studied the green material as he grabbed his towel, and started to dry. Was that a man's yukata? That wasn't big enough for her father... Though the vice commander frowned, he continued to dry himself and soon grabbed the yukata. Hijikata hung his towel over the shower rail and stepped out of the tub and onto a small plush rug as he pulled the yukata over himself. The man tried not to think of his brief lapse of control as he adjusted the robe.

Once the green fabric was fastened around him, he opted to find a cigarette. Or two. Muzai had thrown his wallet into the hallway, and that was the first place Hijikata looked. To his surprise, it was gone. The vice commander's brow furrowed as he glanced down the hall. It was empty. It looked as if the apartment was vacant. No sounds could be heard and Hijikata wondered if the woman had fled. Then again, she was more likely to stay in her apartment.

Turning back to the bathroom, Hijikata glanced towards the mirror. He studied his reflection for a moment, not surprised to find his skin had flushed. The man lowered his gaze and caught sight of his wallet on the counter. She must have moved it. Not a second was spared before the vice commander was propping a cigarette between his lips. He lit it, and pulled his towel from the shower to dry his hair. Water was dripping from the black locks, and Hijikata took care to go over every damp strand with one hand. As the man focused on drying, the door beside him was softly pushed open.

Hijikata paused as Muzai walked into the bathroom. The woman had found another outfit as well. Actually, she had changed into what Hijikata assumed to be pajamas. Loose blue short shorts and a darker blue tank top, to be exact. She held a small bin, and walked behind him; to the shower. The woman glanced in his general direction before quickly averting her eyes and focusing on the clothes in the bottom of the tub. Of course, Hijikata tried his best to not look at her as well. He stared at the counter top; still holding the towel to his hair. No words escaped either person as the woman placed all the clothes in the bin, and walked to the door. Once more, the vice commander glanced towards her, and though she wasn't looking he felt himself grow nervous.

"I... I made lunch earlier... If you're hungry, we can eat while our clothes dry..." She didn't give the vice commander time to respond before she walked away, but Hijikata already knew his decision.

Take that Sougo.

The soba was his.

* * *

**A/N: Hi all :)**

**I've gotta thank the lovely Noniebee (4352183) for contributing to this chapter! Her awesome suggestions fueled this scene, **

**Thank you all for your reviews, and I'm glad you got a laugh out of the last chapter! I must say, MinagiSory, that your suggestion (It belongs to daddy) made me laugh so hard! That was hilarious, and every time I read it I laugh until I'm red!**


	34. Chapter 34

It didn't take long for the vice commander to enter the living room. When he did, he found Muzai in the kitchen. She was opening a small lunch bag, clearly what she had planned to take to the park for herself and her father. The vice commander stopped at the edge of the kitchen to watch Muzai prepare their bowls. She had already placed two on the counter, and was garnishing the dark noodles with more food. Apparently, Hijikata's silent answer had been received. He stepped into the kitchen, hoping to attain a better view of what was being added to their meal, yet Muzai paid him no mind.

With a pair of chopsticks, the woman placed a halved egg on the side of each bowl. She sprinkled chopped spring onions in the center of the noodles, and placed a few shrimp from another small container in the bowls. When the woman paused, she seemed overly tense. It took a second for her to place her hands on the counter, still holding the chopsticks. Muzai glanced in Hijikata's direction, yet kept her eyes low.

"Do you prefer chopsticks, or a fork?"

As the woman spoke, Hijikata averted his gaze. That lack of eye contact seemed contagious. The vice commander's hand settled on the counter as he spied a bottle of mayonnaise beside the lunch bag. It was the wrong brand. She needed to switch. She had lived a life deprived of the proper nutrients, which only his brand provided. A second passed and the man still hadn't responded. He was focused on one thing and one thing alone; the mayonnaise. He had to tell her. But if he pointed it out too fiercely... It would be a hard thing for her to hear, he was positive of that.

Hijikata could only imagine what her life had been like, now. Once he told her, she would know her life, no, her entire existence had been a lie. But how could he gently point such a thing out? It was up to him to find a way. He had to correct her. Had to. But if she was a perfectionist...

In the moments that the man had taken to respond, Muzai had set to filling two small bowls with soy sauce. She was completely oblivious to her error. And he had to point it out as smoothly as possible. It was up to him.

Stepping towards Muzai, Hijikata contemplated his approach. This was a delicate situation... One which had to be handled with care. Muzai froze as Hijikata moved behind her. The man's chest pressed against her back, and his hand found a resting place on the counter beside hers.

"I know this is sudden... But..."

Wide eyed, Muzai frowned. What the hell was he doing? Why was he practically whispering in her ear? And what was he talking about? It was possible that he would say something weird. Something suggestive, or something that she just didn't need to hear. He wasn't still thinking about that thing in the bathroom right? Because she wasn't. Definitely not. Really, she wasn't... She was completely focused on preparing their food. Muzai wasn't sure of what was going through the man's mind, but she knew that whatever he was doing was not okay. She needed to maintain space between them, and his weird whisper-grabbing technique had the opposite effect. Still, she was curious as to what he would say.

But as Hijikata's hand settled on her hip, and he murmured into her ear, she knew she couldn't listen to whatever Hijikata was thinking. It was probably something horrible, like "you didn't have to put more clothes on, I was just about to-", or "Why did you run off? I was-", oh god, what was she thinking?!

Before the man could continue speaking Muzai dropped her chopsticks on the counter. She abruptly turned and walked away as quickly as possible; not even glancing at the odd expression she had earned. He had been too close. When they were in the shower, Muzai knew that he was... Oh god, she couldn't even think the word. She needed to get as far away as possible. To her room, to find something to occupy herself with. Like cleaning that glass he had broken.

As Muzai walked away, she muttered something about a drawer in front of Hijikata. He frowned after the woman as she rounded the corner and sped down the hall. Okay, that was an odd reaction. He hadn't even said anything about the mayo yet. The vice commander glanced at the soba she had prepared before turning to her refrigerator. Once he pulled it open, he was met with neat rows of carefully stored food. In the back row, he caught sight of a familiar red top, which poked from behind multiple drinks and seemed to be glowing. Jackpot.

She had just been joking with the other stuff. He assumed he could throw that stuff away, and use the brand new bottle of cholesterol-y goodness he had just found. Hijikata swirled a mountain of mayonnaise on top of his chosen bowl of soba, and glanced at Muzai's. Well, she liked mayonnaise too. She had probably remembered something important and walked away for a second. Oddly, but that's probably what happened. She hadn't eaten all of the mayo he had given her last time... Maybe if he gave her less, she would like it more... It only took a second of contemplation for Hijikata to make a small pile in the center of Muzai's bowl.

There. If she ate it, she liked mayo. If she didn't... Well, if she didn't she was a horrible person. Who the heck didn't like mayonnaise? Anyway, he already knew how she would respond. Muzai was a secret mayo lover, that didn't want people to know because of her figure. Yeah. She would love that little pile of mayonnaise. A minute passed, and the woman remained unseen. Wherever she had gone, Hijikata assumed she was ridiculously busy. Nevertheless, it was somewhat uncalled for, for Muzai to just walk away. How could Hijikata start eating without her? It was her apartment, and her cooking. It wouldn't be right to just dig into the food with no regards for the chef.

The man's brow furrowed as he glanced towards the hallway. It didn't seem like she was coming back. If anything, Hijikata guessed that she had no intention of returning to the kitchen. He didn't exactly know why, but decided to get her. If he had to, he would drag Muzai back. The food looked good, and it would be a waste not to eat it while it was fresh. Hijikata started down the hallway, and walked to Muzai's room. The door was closed, and the vice commander frowned at it as he grasped the handle and pushed it open.

Once Hijikata stepped inside, he found Muzai kneeling on the ground; dust pan in hand. She was using a small hand-held brush to sweep the remnants of the jar he had broken. The woman didn't even turn to face him. Hijikata silently walked to her side, and stared down at the floor, unsure of what to make of the woman's actions. There didn't seem to be anything down there anymore. He was sure that she had already gotten all the glass, yet she continued to sweep the area.

Still frowning, the vice commander raised a brow.

"Oi... I think you got it all."

"No. Every time I pick up the dust pan there's more..." Muzai shook her head as she spoke, and Hijikata crossed his arms. What the heck was wrong with her, now? Nothing had happened, as far as the vice-commander knew. Now she was compulsively sweeping microscopic specks of glass dust. A second passed, and things remained the same, only Muzai had turned to the side, and focused on another random bit of floor. Why was she cleaning when she was supposed to be eating with him? The vice commander frowned down at the chocolate hair that attempted to hide the woman from view, and a sigh escaped him. If this was some sort of anxious habit of hers, he couldn't exactly hate it, but there was a better time for something like this.

Shifting his gaze, Hijikata caught sight of a small trashcan beside the writing desk. The vice commander hooked his foot around the back of it, and pulled it towards Muzai and himself. The woman paused, and leaned up to peer at the trashcan. Muzai glanced up at Hijikata, and he caught her eyes with his own; still frowning. It was as if he wanted an explanation. Clearly, she wasn't about to offer one. Another moment of silence passed, and Muzai averted her eyes. The woman picked up the dustpan and emptied its contents in the garbage. She placed a hand to her mouth as she dropped the dustpan once more, and dry humor escaped her.

Muzai slowly shook her head as if quietly laughing at herself, and Hijikata attempted to understand why she would find this funny. Or be cleaning when there was food for them to eat. It made no sense. Despite his puzzlement, Muzai pushed herself to her feet. She crossed her arms and glanced at Hijikata before turning her head. The woman leaned to one side, and Hijikata found himself studying her figure. She really needed to buy something other than shorts to wear around her apartment. Talk about distracting... As Hijikata forced himself to focus on the odd display of nervous energy, Muzai drew his attention to herself.

"It looks nice on you..."

Humming a question, Hijikata gazed at the woman. She motioned to the green yukata she had supplied before allowing her arms to uncross and starting from the room. The vice commander peered down at the fabric around him, and considered the odd tone Muzai had used. Now, more than ever, he wondered who it belonged to. Wondered why Muzai would have a man's yukata just laying around her apartment, when it clearly wasn't the right size for her father. He didn't ask. Instead, the man gently kicked the trashcan back in place and followed Muzai from the room.

In another corner of the apartment, a dryer could be heard. It was slightly unusual for one to own a dryer, as most people would hang their clothes year round. In winter, the cold weather made it difficult; clothes would be hung indoors. Preferably over heaters. Then again, their clothes had been sopping wet, even in warm weather; it would take forever for his yukata to dry.

The vice commander walked to the kitchen, and Muzai glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. She turned the sink on, and proceeded to wash her hands. Hijikata grabbed his bowl of soba, and Muzai's eyes flicked in his direction, over her shoulder. A slight grin played on her features as she returned her gaze to the sink and severed the flow of water. She dried her hands on a paper towel, and turned to face Hijikata. Her attention remained on the mayonnaise-covered food. Of course, the woman knew which bowl was hers, that wasn't even a question. She tossed the napkin in the trash and pulled a drawer open. Inside laid an organized rack of silverware and utensils. Muzai grabbed a new pair of chopsticks, which she offered to Hijikata. The man accepted, and Muzai grabbed her bowl as well as a new pair.

Not a single word was exchanged before they walked from the kitchen and to the couch. Though she hadn't mentioned it yet, Muzai was all too aware of Hijikata's initiation. The man sat on the opposite end of the couch; leaving plenty of space between them. As Muzai grabbed the remote control, she peered at him.

"You put mayo on my soba?"

Hijikata's eyes flicked towards her, yet he offered no response. Muzai turned the TV on, and started to snicker under her breath. Though the woman didn't say more, Hijikata wondered how she would react. The laughing was uncalled for; he expected something more to assess her opinion of the food. Still, Muzai simply placed her bowl on the short table in front of the couch. She stood, and stepped past Hijikata; motioning to the remote.

"You can change the channel. I'm not sure what's on right now, but daddy likes this weird soap opera station..."

The vice commander peered at her, still holding his bowl and waiting for some sort of negative note; regarding the mayonnaise. Even so, Muzai moved to the kitchen and returned as quickly as she had left. She laid a small dipping bowl of soy sauce in front of him, and he murmured his thanks as she sat down.  
"I'm not big on TV." The vice commander stated, and Muzai turned to gaze at him.

"Is that so? I watch with daddy sometimes, but most of my time is spent working... Kind of hard not to when you practically live at your job." A light note of amusement escaped the woman, and Hijikata nodded.

"Yeah, tell me about it." It was slightly unusual to eat in front of a TV. Apparently, Muzai was lax about this sort of thing. The woman smiled at his words, and when he met her eyes, she tilted her head.  
"Itadakimasu."

Unable to help but mirror her expression (yet in a much more subtle manner), Hijikata echoed Muzai in a lowed tone. He watched as the woman focused on her bowl of soba, and started to eat; unfazed by his mayo test. There was no way that Muzai was involved with the case- no horrible person could so easily bypass his test of character. She had accepted the mayo; Muzai was in the clear. Well, to him at least. Hijikata gathered a bit of noodles with his chopsticks, and dipped them into the soy sauce on the table. He used his bowl to avoid any rouge drips as he guided the food into his mouth.

On the TV, some woman was running around, trying to convince a man he had gotten her pregnant. Apparently, she had drugged him and had her way with him, though, and he wasn't about to assume responsibility. The entire ordeal resulted in a dramatic breakdown, which for some reason, tickled Muzai's funny bone. The woman set her bowl in her lap, and grabbed the remote.

"God, this is horrible! I expected you to find something decent! Is the news good for you?"

Peering at the woman, Hijikata swallowed the bit of food he had been chewing to agree. He earned a nod as Muzai flipped through the channels, and started to snicker again.

"I don't know where the news is..." She admitted, still scrolling through the various TV stations. Flickers of random shows took the screen for fractions of a second, and a frown creased Muzai's brow as she attempted to locate something bearable. Noticing her distress, Hijikata set his bowl in his lap. He grabbed the remote, and Muzai watched as he hit the numbers. Soon, a broadcast popped onto the screen, and Hijikata set the remote down. Muzai continued to stare at the man for a second before offering a light humorous note. She picked her bowl up, and stared at the screen as she started to eat once more.

"-in the Kabuki district. Still, after the fire there is only one known survivor. The Shinsengumi are baffled by the crime, and have been attempting to solve the mystery of the asylum. Today, right now, you're going to see an original broadcast. Nobody else has attempted to do this, but you can trust that we'll take you through the most interesting interview of the decade!" The reporter smiled, and turned to glance at her surroundings. She was in the middle of a plain room with blue carpet. Matching couches could be seen in the background, yet were mostly ignored. The camera and reporter started to move. They walked to an elevator, and soon, the doors could be seen closing. The camera fixated on the reporter, and she offered a charismatic grin.

"So far, no details have been given about her, but we know where she lives. Remember, this is a live broadcast, and hasn't been arranged in any way. Hopefully, she'll be open to talking, but remember, this is an insane asylum we're talking about."

A ding could be heard, and Hijikata froze. He stared at the TV, wide eyed. No. It wasn't what he was thinking, right? It couldn't be... Right? Muzai also paused, staring at the screen as a familiar hallway came into view. The reporters walked to a door, yet the numbers remained out of view. Soon, the woman raised her fist to the door.

When a knock sounded behind them, Hijikata and Muzai turned to stare at the door. They glanced back at the TV, and sure enough, the reporters were patiently waiting and offering low lines of information to the viewers.

"I don't hear anything on the inside. Maybe she's not here?" The number on Muzai's door briefly came into view as the camera backed up, and the reporter turned to face it. She held her finger up as a signal to wait, and pressed the intercom button beside the door. Still, as the buzz sounded, Hijikata and Muzai simply stared at one another. They placed their nearly empty bowls on the table, both at a loss for words.

Muzai's lips parted, and though they moved as if she had spoken, nothing came out. Her lack of speech was immediately followed by a sigh, and the woman placed a hand to her head. She placed her elbows on her knees, and leaned into her hands; tensely hiding her face. Clearly, the woman was distressed. Hijikata started to place a hand on her back in the hopes of shifting her focus, yet as he reached, a cheesy ringtone interrupted his motion. The vice commander paused, and glanced at his sleeve. Muzai did the same before returning her attention to the floor beneath her feet. Almost immediately, a splitting headache greeted her. The woman's head began to pound, and she focused on rubbing the bridge of her nose as if it would help. Beside her, Hijikata greeted somebody, and the reporter on the TV stated that she thought she had heard something come from within the apartment.

"Oi, Hijikata-San, did you get the tape?"  
"Tape? Yeah, I got a tape." Hijikata had turned towards the kitchen, focusing on his conversation with the lead investigator on the case. Mori had called him, and his tone was slightly uneasy. Still, the man wasn't saying anything about the reason behind his obvious nervous energy.

"Yeah, I found the security company, had them send it to you. I took a look too, it was real helpful. But did you notice something odd?"  
"Odd?" The vice commander echoed, and a slight pause took the conversation.

"Well, the nurse... It sounded like she said Yoshi... And when the group went outside... In the corner of the door, you can see two sets of shoes... Like somebody was standing outside; waiting for them... But they didn't have and cameras set up out there. This was more than an inside job..."

Frowning, Hijikata attempted to process the information. He had missed that. Despite the fact that he had watched the tape so many times, he hadn't seen that. How could he overlook such an important detail?! So much time had been spent watching that tape, and he hadn't noticed a huge detail. Something that changed the entire case.

"Of course I noticed that. I watched the tape multiple times. You know I pay attention to everything." Casually stating the lie, Hijikata stood up. He walked to the kitchen; positive that this would take a moment.

"Listen, I don't know if you heard, but we've identified over seventy five percent of the remains now. Yoshi was one of them. Even if he was involved, he's not gonna be much use. As far as we're concerned, he's just a casualty now. We have to find another source. Somebody else. I think I might have identified one of the survivors, though. The blonde from the kitchen- the pyro. All of the blonde patients have been identified but one. While it's possible that I could be wrong, only one blonde survived, only one remains unfound. We need to get together, and I'll tell you more..."

Wide eyed, Hijikata stared at the stove in front of him. He had leaned onto the counter, and crossed his arms. Mori was one of the best; the vice commander expected no less. He was glad to have the man on his team.

"Alright. When and where?"  
"Well, we're done with the scene, so all that's left is lab work. I can swing by your headquarters. We can all meet up, you, me and the commander. I just grabbed some files on the girl; hot off the press. Oh, and just so you know, that witness of yours... Uh, the news is trying to do a special on her. Apparently, they're knocking at her door right now..." The gruff tone, which carried the man's voice, earned a slight shift of Hijikata's gaze. He nodded as if Mori could see him, and muttered the word "Yeah." Apparently, the man was in front of a TV, watching the same thing the vice commander had been.

"Well, I'm out right now. I'll head back to the Shinsengumi and meet you there." Hijikata was met with a hum of agreement, and in a matter of seconds, the call was over. He turned back to Muzai, only to find the woman had disappeared. Shit. Now he needed to leave but there was a reporter outside. With a sigh, the vice commander walked back to the couch. He grabbed his bowl of soba, and wondered what he would do. He couldn't waste it. Sougo's words had been true; Muzai's soba was unnaturally good. Like a specialty or something. Though the woman was nowhere to be found, Hijikata scarffed the food down. He didn't bother to dunk the noodles in the provided soy sauce. There was no time. Knowing Mori, that man would be at the Shinsengumi in less than half an hour. Hijikata needed to be there first.

The vice commander returned to the kitchen, and placed his bowl in the sink before walking to the hall. He had to tell Muzai that he was leaving. Though he wandered through the hall, he found no sign of the woman. He peeked into her room, only to find it empty. Turning around, Hijikata glanced over the hall. Where could she be? The man continued to look around, wondering where to look next. Until he saw it.

A door he hadn't been through.

Hijikata wasn't sure what could be in the room. He contemplated going inside, yet refrained from doing so. It could be something private. Something he didn't want to see. After that scene with the... Uh, dildo, he didn't want to stumble upon anything else. Most likely, Muzai was somewhere more accessible. The vice commander walked to the bathroom, and glanced inside, only to find that it was as desolate as the woman's room. Seconds passed and the vice commander stood in the hallway, wondering if he should check the mystery room. As he thought, the door opened, and Muzai stepped from within. She stopped, and peered at Hijikata as she closed the door, and he did the same. Well, minus a door, that is.

"I've gotta go. There's gonna be a meeting back at headquarters."

Nodding, Muzai shifted her gaze. The woman walked to his side, and raised a brow as she met his eye. Though she quickly averted her gaze, Muzai walked into the bathroom, and pulled a napkin from a stack beside the sink. She turned back to Hijikata, and he curiously frowned as she lifted the napkin to his face. A small smile curled Muzai's lips as she wiped the corner of his mouth. Must have been mayo... The woman offered no words as she threw the napkin away, and stepped past the vice commander.

As Muzai started back down the hallway, Hijikata followed. The woman glanced back at him as he grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. Muzai paused, and shifted her gaze as the man forced her to come to a halt.

"You aren't gonna say anything?"  
Instead of an answer, Hijikata received an alarmed stare. Muzai simply peered up at him, not attempting to say a single word. A second passed, and Hijikata sighed. The man shook his head, and released Muzai. He poked her forehead, and the woman glanced up at his finger before dropping her eyes again.

"Don't make that face; people will think I beat you." The words earned a relieving snort of humor from the woman, and she crossed her arms. From her stance, it seemed as if she was holding herself, or cold. She leaned to one side, and turned her head; staring at the wall as one of her hands slid up her arm.

"Well, the news crew is still out there... They can't see me leave... Is there another way out?"

Shaking her head, Muzai sighed. She shifted her gaze once more and her hair fell into her face. As the woman tucked the brown lock behind her ear, she tilted her head. Without a word, she grabbed Hijikata's sleeve and pulled him to her room. Apparently, she had another idea.

* * *

Ten minutes later the vice commander was opening the door to Muzai's apartment. He had no idea how the woman had talked him into something so stupid without saying a single word. Muzai had no secret exit in her apartment. She didn't have anything that could be useful, but this was ridiculous. When the newscaster saw him, her mouth dropped. He closed the door behind himself, and acted as though nothing was wrong. The camera focused on Hijikata and he glared at it.

That probably didn't make him look any better. Muzai had wrapped a towel around his head, and drawn a mustache on his upper lip with a makeup pencil. The woman had made him wear a pair of glasses, and drew a giant mole on his cheek. Muzai had covered his face in some sort of chocolaty brown paste, and told him it was like peanut butter. What the hell. Why did he agree to this? The only part of his face that didn't have the brown stuff on it was the mole. He didn't know if he should be humiliated or arrest himself for looking suspicious. Nevertheless, as the news crew stared up at him, the red dot on the camera reminded him that he was being recorded.

"Um... Sir? Who are you?" The woman asked, and Hijikata continued to scowl at the woman.  
"That's none of your business. What are you doing here? Harassing civilians with your nosey news reports?! Huh?! I ought to arrest you!"

Wide eyed, the reporter frowned at him. She scoffed, and shook her head.  
"Maybe this is the wrong apartment; this is some crazy guy..."

"OI! I'm standing right here! I'm not crazy! If I was-"  
Before Hijikata could finish, the reporter raised a finger to his cheek.  
"Your face is shiny... Are you wearing some kind of-?" The disguise Muzai had made slicked off, and Hijikata abruptly turned around. There was nothing to see his reflection on. He was doomed. He should have just walked off and ignored the crew, but no, he had to play hero. Placing a hand over his face, Hijikata stared at Muzai's door with wide eyes. He could hear soft snickering coming from inside, and knew Muzai was watching him. Now, more than ever he wanted to smack her for her stupid idea.

"I can't believe you did that. On my planet... My race stopped producing face goo... At first, the women thought it was good, that they could apply cosmetics... But disease broke out. We found out that it was our goo that protected us from the dangers of the environment. The impurities of the world..." The vice commander paused as he tried to make up more. He had no idea where this story was coming from, but it was the best he had.

"One by one, my people died. My father. My sister. My grandpa... My gerbil. All because the goo was gone... I was told that I could find help. That the doctors on earth knew how to make more, and I could save my people. So I journeyed to earth alone. I know that the fate of my people depends on me. And you just carelessly wiped away the last of my life as if it didn't matter. How long will I live? How many minutes, days, weeks did you just take away from me?" Turning around, Hijikata stared at the newscaster.

"The color of your face goo doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that under that layer of goo... Under that goo is a person with a beautiful soul."

Complete silence. The brunette woman stared at him through wide tear-filled eyes; remorseful.

"I- I'm so sorry Goo-San..." A choked sob carried the words, and the camera focused on Hijikata once more.

"I- We had no idea... What you were going through..." The woman wiped her eyes, and Hijikata nodded; still covering his face.

"Yeah, well next time, don't judge a stranger by his goo."

Leaving it at that, Hijikata turned and walked away- Ignoring the loud laugh that originated from Muzai's apartment. He just pushed a cigarette between his lips and started to the elevator. This was the dumbest disguise ever. He couldn't walk into the Shinsengumi looking like this. He would have to wipe his face off in the car. Hopefully, Muzai wouldn't mind never seeing her towel again.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews :) **

**Haha, I think everybody enjoys seeing Hijikata in awkward positions, especially when he pulls them off, and makes it seem natural, LOL**


	35. Chapter 35

"Yashito Hina. "

Slapping a file onto a small Tea table, the lead investigator on the case calmly closed his eyes. He lifted his cup to his lips as Hijikata and Kondo examined the photo that had been pushed from the manila folder as it landed. Mori had barely arrived a few minutes before. As Hijikata waited, he had finished cleaning the last of Muzai's horrible disguise from his face. Now, he and Kondo sat with their legs folded, studying the newfound evidence.

The dark haired detective placed his cup on the table, and his chocolate eyes swept over the two as they opened the folder. His casual business clothes suggested that he had been awake for days; ripping and running to find the newest suspect. His white button up was slightly winkled, and suspenders hung over his shoulders. The man's blue tie matched his pants with a white pinstripe pattern. The man raised his hand to the stubble of his chin as he leaned over the table and pointed at the picture.

"Her hair is the same length as the girl in the video, and we haven't found her remains. Aside from that, it's the same color."

Hijikata and Kondo nodded, still curiously eying the photo. Glancing at the detective across the table, Kondo raised a brow.

"This is great, Mori-San! I really gotta thank you for all your hard work!"

A tense, bashful smirk curled the man's lips, and he waved the words off.

"Not a problem, it's what I do. I'm just glad to have a big case like this to make my name. I've studied long enough." The latter half of the statement was mumbled under the man's breath, and Hijikata glanced up at him.

"You said you haven't worked a case like this before, didn't you?"

Nodding, Mori placed a hand on the table. He scratched his head, and his smirk grew wider as he confirmed the vice-commander's question with a single motion.

"No, I haven't. Most of my cases are about break-ins, or wives trying to catch their husbands. Still, I know how to do my job. The real aspect of it, at least. Gotta admit, it doesn't allow for much sleep."

Kondo murmured an agreeing tone, and Hijikata set the blonde's picture on the desk. Her eyes were brown, and lips were plump. If the vice-commander didn't know any better, he would expect her to be a college sorority girl. The kind that stays out late, drinking with men and being generally flirtatious or indecent. But Hijikata knew, without a doubt, this girl was a killer. Her expression spoke loudly enough. He had seen that look many times before; pure rage.

The Detective opened the file and pulled out a typed up sheet of paper. The girl's name was written in bold print, to the side of the sheet, and as Mori offered the paper to Hijikata, Kondo scooted to his side. The vice commander took the sheet, and glanced over it; not surprised to find the girl's information.

Blood type B, family deceased. She graduated only two years ago from a community college. Worked at a grocery store. She seemed like a regular girl. What caught Hijikata's attention was her reason for admission. Psychotic episodes. Apparently, the girl had random flashes of hysterical crying, or screaming while she was at work. She would be stocking the shelves one second, and the next she would be throwing everything onto the ground. Pulling her hair out, and shouting for no apparent reason. Her boss had suspected something unacceptable had happened to her. She was commonly an object of lust for the customers. But after the third time of her random snapping, he called authorities.

A mental evaluation was requested, and the girl was dubbed unstable. Obviously.

"After discussing it with the team, we did a bit of research. She's had a habit of going to the hot springs just outside of town whenever she needs some time away."  
"Hot springs?" Kondo echoed, and Mori offered a slight nod before continuing.

"We have reason to believe that the group split up after the incident. It's the only logical explanation, and even if they didn't, she's likely to show up there... Now, about that tape I had sent here. There were people waiting outside for the group, and a set of tire tracks by the forest. We're trying to watch the car now, but the tracks were spotted a bit late. Mostly destroyed by the fire hose, but there was one clear spot that we photographed and measured. This was more than an inside job."

Silence fell over the room, and Hijikata stared at the investigator over the paper in his hands. Damn, he was good. If exposure was what he wanted, he was definitely going to get it. After a case like this, his name would be famous. Mori would be highly sought after, for any big cases that arose. It was a pleasure working with him. The Shinsengumi didn't have much to do with him gathering all the evidence. They just had to review what he found, and point out anything they noticed. Seeing his opportunity, Hijikata spoke up.

"In the stairwell, when the nurse screamed. I thought I heard her say 'Yoshi-Sama'."

Though the vice commander received a sideways glance from Kondo, Mori nodded. He held one hand up, and his smirk grew more prominent.

"Exactly. She did, but here's the thing. Yoshi's remains were found. He's dead, so even if he did have something to do with it, he's out of the picture. There had been some drama with his uncle that needs to be taken into consideration. But for now, the Yoshi lead should be kept in the back of our minds. We know it's there, but it has to fall into place at some point."

Hijikata hummed in agreement, and propped a cigarette between his lips as Kondo turned to him.

"Toshi! You were right!"

Oh, the satisfaction. Yes. Hijikata had been right; of course he had! If nothing else, Hijikata knew his job. He had spent an ample amount of time studying that tape. As Hijikata was internally praising himself, Mori stood up. The Investigator straightened his tie, and a low sigh parted his lips. Once more, he rubbed the stubble of his chin, yet murmured something about cleaning up.

"Alright, that's all I have for you today. By the way, I checked with the hot springs. There is a reserved room for Yashito. It's booked for a week, starting in three days."

"Really?!" Kondo was the first to speak, and both men stared up at Mori with wide eyes. He nodded, and shoved his hands into his pocket. Tired posture betrayed his attempt at sounding up to par, yet the man continued.

"Mm, so I suggest checking it out. Undercover, of course. Anyway, I'm gonna get outta here. Gotta get some rest, I been up for two days, and I got an anniversary with the wife in two more. Little girl's birthday party in a week, and I'm too damn tired to think straight. I'll be taking the day off, no calls, please." Smiling, the man turned to the door. He murmured the words "Good luck" as he waved over his shoulder and in a matter of seconds he was gone.

The moment the door closed, Kondo turned to Hijikata. A warm smirk had curled his lips, and the vice commander curiously watched as he motioned after the Investigator.

"He's a good guy. Hard working."

Nodding in agreement, Hijikata set the paper he had been reading on the desk. So they had it. A lead, a name, a place and date. Now everything was about to start. It was going to get serious. Nothing else seemed as important as reviewing the evidence once more.

* * *

That night, as Hijikata laid in his bed, he couldn't help but wonder if the news crew was still pestering Muzai. If they left for the hot springs, would Muzai be trapped in her apartment? Not that anything could be done about it. Still, the thought remained in the corner of his mind; nagging and demanding attention. The vice commander turned over in his futon, mentally shooing the thought. It wasn't like she could say anything; their evidence was safe. But that wasn't the issue. If she couldn't talk, she couldn't _tell_ them. And if they were demanding her to speak, she would be even less useful. About as interesting as a box full of rocks. In short the woman would be reduced to a mass of expressionless, lock-jawed nothingness; only good for pictures. Even then, she would avoid eye contact.

Snorting to himself, Hijikata allowed a dream to fall over him.

In the morning, as Hijikata was running a criminal history check on their newest suspect, the door to his office was pushed open. The person hadn't knocked, and the vice commander glanced over his laptop as a certain sandy-haired captain walked into the room. The silence of the room remained intact as Sougo leaned against the door; a slight smirk tugging at his features. Ignoring the teenager, Hijikata eyed the mass of text that had appeared on the screen. He picked out the useful lines, and read over them as his hit the print button. From the looks of things, this Hina girl had an odd fascination with knives. A second was spent reading the information, only to be interrupted by Sougo.

"We got a call."

Once again, Hijikata glanced at the captain, slightly annoyed that he had come to his office to tell him that. Sougo was smugly peering at him through his deadpan mask.

"Well go handle it already, I'm busy!" Snapping the words, Hijikata stood up. He had to go to the printer. As he started from the room, he noted the odd air surrounding Sougo. Once he reached the captain's side, he glanced at him from the corners of his eyes. Alarmingly, Sougo was grinning at him. Hijikata paused, and turned to face him; unable to conceal his worry. Most likely, he was going to die. This was Sougo's "Die, Hijikata" face.

"Okay. I'll tell Zai-Chan you were too busy to watch her throw herself from the ledge of her apartment, but you have clean up duty." Casually stating the nature of the call, Sougo shrugged and started from the room. The vice commander frowned in confusion. He couldn't help but snatch the teenager back by the shoulder, and turn Sougo to face him. The words sent panic down his spine, and caused his stomach to churn. This had to be a prank. Sougo was just playing. Muzai wouldn't do that... Right?

"What?" As he demanded the information, Hijikata started to shake Sougo, maybe a bit too hard. The captain remained expressionless, yet his eyes started to daze, as the shaking grew more violent.

"What did you say?! Are you joking?! OI! Say something! Is it true?!" The more Hijikata shook, the less responsive Sougo grew.

Eventually, the vice commander was left with nothing but a limp sadist. Sougo slid to the floor "out of it", as Hijikata released him. Well... That was new. For once, Hijikata killed Sougo. A voice in the doorway snagged his attention, and Hijikata turned to find Kondo running by.

"Men! Stop fooling around! My little girl! We need to get to my little girl!"

Holy fuck- it was real. Sougo wasn't teasing Hijikata. And he had shaken him to death for no reason. He'd get over it. Filled with adrenaline, Hijikata rushed to the garage. He had to get there. There was no way that Muzai would do something like that. Still, he had to find out. Had to go and see for himself. What would make her do something like that? She had been perfectly fine the day before! Hijikata wasted no time in getting to his car, and speeding from the garage. The man could barely work a cigarette between his lips. Red lights were run, sirens blared, and the adrenaline rush of running code set in as Hijikata sped to the apartment. Ahead of him, Kondo was doing the same, and behind him, three more cars followed. This was bound to be insane.

* * *

Upon arriving, Hijikata found a large group of bystanders on the side of the building. Kondo was already out of his car; holding a megaphone to his mouth. Sure enough, on the side of the building stood a single woman. She was much too far up to make out her expression. Much too small to recognize. Shoulder length brown hair and casual shorts and a tank top gave her away. Hijikata gawked up at the woman that was peering down at the crowd. Cars swerved to a halt behind him and in a matter of seconds, the scene was being secured. The air was hot, and Hijikata tore his jacket off; still shocked.

"Is it because I haven't spent enough time with you?! Daddy's sorry honey, but it's just been so busy! You're worrying me! You don't have to do this to get my attention! You haven't even met your mother yet!"

Members of the Shinsengumi pushed through the crowd, which buzzed with anticipation. The men set up bariers, and pushed the bystanders back to allow ample space for Muzai to fall. So she didn't crush anybody else on her way down. A news crew was on scene, and stood beside Kondo; camera and microphone ready. Overhead hung a helicopter, no doubt recording Muzai's expression. The news lady turned to Kondo, microphone extended.

"It seems this is the woman's father. From what he's saying, her complicated family life, which was deprived of fatherly love and contact has led her to this ledge, in which she will throw herself from to express how lonely and neglected she is... Sir, would you like to tell us about your daughter?"

The camera settled on Kondo's grieved expression. With clenched teeth, the man stared up at Muzai's tiny form.

"She- She's the best daughter anybody could ever ask for! She was going to take care of me when I get old! I didn't spend enough time with her! This is all my fault!" From the sound of Kondo's voice, Hijikata could tell that the man was holding in tears.

Out of nowhere, Sougo appeared and took the megaphone from Kondo. He peered up at Muzai and spoke in his usual deadpan voice; just a touch louder.

"Don't worry Zai-Chan; I'll tell everybody at the studio. Try not to make a mess, and if you can, land on Hijikata. Aim for the one that eats dog food, and styles his hair with mayonnaise."

This was ridiculous. Nobody was doing anything, and Hijikata's limbs had frozen. She was really on the ledge. Really about to kill herself.

"This doesn't make sense."

Swiveling around to face the familiar voice, Hijikata found the hippy. Sachiko was staring up at Muzai with her arms crossed. Her chocolate eyes flicked to Hijikata for a split second, only to return to her friend.

"Zai's never said anything about this before. She wouldn't do this. She would never kill herself. I mean, sure, she's depressed, but..." Pausing, the girl shook her head. "That's a given, not being able to handle social situations will do that to you. Talking is a big part of life; most people take it for granted... But look at her... She's frozen. Does that look like someone that's fed up with life?"

Gazing up at Muzai, Hijikata continued to frown. Sachiko was right. Muzai's hands were together, under her chin. She was leaning towards the window, trying to make herself smaller. Trying not to fall. Her posture was closed. She was trying to stay up there, not throw herself from the ledge. But why was she there to begin with?

No more words were exchanged before Hijikata slammed his car door shut, dropped his extinguished cigarette, and dashed through the crowd. He shoved everybody aside, and ran straight to the door. The man mashed the code into the keypad, and behind him, the news crew shouted.

"The Shinsengumi is making a move! They're going inside!"

Ignoring them, Hijikata rushed into the building. He jammed the button for the elevator multiple times, yet it was too slow. He didn't have time to wait. He couldn't sit still while Muzai was only a breath away from slipping. Shaking his head, the vice commander hissed under his breath and changed direction. He ran through the hall until he found a door to the stairwell, and started up. His footsteps echoed throughout the room. It was as if his body was moving on its own. The man ran up multiple flights of stairs with no physical repercussions. If he was winded, he had no clue. His limbs switched to auto drive, and only one thing hung on his mind. He had to get there before she fell. Muzai couldn't have done this. She wouldn't. Last he saw, she was smiling and laughing as usual. She was happy when he left. What had changed?!

And if she hadn't intended to wind up on the ledge, she couldn't call for help. Not with all of those people down there. Not in public. She was literally backed against a wall. Bursting from the stairwell, Hijikata searched for the proper hallway; for Muzai's door. It seemed to take forever. Every second stretched on, and every apartment was wrong. Once Hijikata found the elevator, he located the proper hall. From there, the man rushed to Muzai's door, only to find it locked. He didn't bother to knock. The man slammed his shoulder into the door, and it barely budged from the force. Still twisting the handle, Hijikata rammed into the door once more. It bucked, yet didn't open. All he could hear was his own breath. A steady stream of pants escaped the man, and his heart pounded within his ears. As if it would burst from the exertion.

Stepping back a bit, the vice commander charged the door. The moment he collided with it, it flung backwards, and Hijikata nearly lost his balance. He caught himself on his palms, yet didn't spare a second before rushing across the living room and to the window.

The vice commander snatched the curtain back, only to find Muzai. She had either heard him, or seen him, and was facing the widow. Large hazel eyes locked to the Hijikata's and the woman placed her palm on the glass barrier between them. A second passed, and Muzai started to slap her palm against the window. She frantically hit the glass, and obvious panic twisted her features. Hijikata gripped the window, yet when he tugged at it, he found it was locked. From the inside. That was impossible. She could not have done that on her own.

Quickly unlatching the pane, Hijikata snatched it upwards. The frame bumped Muzai, and the woman's gaze snapped to the ground below her as she waved her arms; hoping to grasp something. In the fraction of a second, she had lost her footing. She dropped, and time seemed to slow as Hijikata reached through the window, towards her. One arm grasped the frame, and Muzai's hands swiped at his. His heart dropped. She couldn't fall. He had made it this far. It wasn't fair. He hadn't been trying to push her. He couldn't let her go!

Not yet! Not ever!

In the nick of time, Hijikata snagged the woman's hand. He was practically out of the window with her; holding onto the frame and bent completely over. Muzai gripped his hand with both of hers, her jaw open as if she was shocked, or would scream. As if she was just as amazed and terrified as him. But he couldn't let on to the fact that his mind was flooded with fear. Two panicking people never solve situations; they just freak each other out. Blood pumped in the man's ears, and he could barely hear the screaming crowd below. They had shrieked and screamed as Muzai had slipped, yet were cheering once they found that Hijikata had caught her. But now he needed to get her back up. With one hand, that was a task in itself.

Muzai stared up at the man's determined scowl. Her eyes were as wide as dinner plates, and as Hijikata attempted to lift her, she surprised herself, and him as well.

"_Toshi- _save me! _Don't let me fall! Don't let me go! _I'm scared- help! _Help- help me!"_

Her voice was solid, nothing near a whisper. Trepidation hung in her voice, and Hijikata pulled with all his might. This was a tough situation, and the woman was kicking her feet; not making it easier.

"You're not- gonna fall- _Muzai! _Just calm down- _hold on!"_

With a grunt of effort, the vice commander managed to bring Muzai closer. Sweat had started to bead on his neck and face as he tightened his grip on the woman and the window.

"Listen- If I let go of this window, we're both goin' down. Muzai- I need you to _calm down_, _stop kicking!_ Can you find some grounding? Can you put your feet _on_ the building?!"

"Y- Yeah!" A moment passed as the woman attempted to find solid wall to plant her feet. Muzai started up at Hijikata, before flicking her eyes to the crowd below.

"_Don't_ look down! _Look at me!_" Demanding the woman's attention, Hijikata remained still as she brought her gaze back to him. The helicopter above them sent strong gusts of wind over the pair, making the situation no easier. Hair wildly whipped at the woman's face, and wind raked through Hijikata's raven locks.

"I need you to walk-"  
"I can't! I can't-" Cutting the woman off, Hijikata shook his head.  
"_Damn it_- Walk Muzai! _Do it!_ Walk towards me; I'm _not_ letting go!" Shouting the command, the man pulled Muzai towards him. The people below were barely dots among the concrete. As Muzai attempted to do as instructed, Hijikata pulled her up. She wasn't heavy, that wasn't the issue, but lifting her with one arm after running up multiple flights of stairs and breaking a door in was no easy feat. When the woman was close enough, and almost over the seal, Hijikata leaned all of his weight back.

She came forward, and he wrapped an arm around her back as they crashed into the apartment. The woman landed on top of him, and a chorus of cheers sounded outside. Immediately sitting up, Hijikata grabbed Muzai's shoulders. He forced the woman up to her knees, and she peered up at him. Her eyes were still wide, and brimming with tears.

_"What happened?! What were you doing?!"_Unable to help himself, the vice commander shouted the words. Muzai shook her head and quickly wiped her eyes with both hands; shaking.

"I- I didn't do anything! I would never- I came out of the shower and there was a man in here! He had a gun, and I-" The woman choked up, and dropped her head, still covering her eyes. Low pants parted Hijikata's lips, and he stared at Muzai as her body shook with a sob. The man couldn't help but frown. A man with a gun? In her apartment? And what? She decided to crawl out the window? Though he wanted more information, it was clear that she was too shaken up to tell him. She was crying; terrified.

Without a word, Hijikata pulled her into a tight embrace. One hand gripped her shoulder, and the other wrapped around her back as Muzai buried her face in his vest. The woman sniffled, and Hijikata placed his chin on top of her head, murmuring.

"It's alright... Calm down..."

His hand slipped from her back and into her hair as he placed his lips against the woman's forehead; still staring at the window. It had been locked from the inside... She had to be telling the truth...

"I've got you, it's okay..."

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**A/N: Yay new chapter! (took long enough)**  
**Still, I hope you all enjoyed, and thank you all for your reviews and patience :)**

**Was that exciting enough? hehe, I was nervous as I was typing it!**


	36. Chapter 36

Back at headquarters, Hijikata sat in the interrogation room; Muzai across from him. Never before, had he expected to be in this position with the woman again. Not that she had done anything, but official business needed to be handled as such. Kondo had resolved to wait in his office with Sougo and Yamazaki while Hijikata spoke to the woman. Unlike before, he knew he could get an actual answer now. This wasn't a touch-and-go situation, she could speak to him without a few drinks. Compared to before, that was saying a lot. Occasional eye contact could be established, and Muzai was generally comfortable around him.

The room was cold, and Hijikata had offered the woman his coat. She hadn't had time to get dressed before he ushered her out of her apartment. While his coat could do nothing to warm her legs, it was still something.

Muzai was staring at the table, her hands folded together in her lap. The room had been silent for what felt like hours. Hair had fallen over the woman's shoulders, hanging with her head.

Hijikata couldn't tell if she was nervous or embarrassed. Most likely, it was embarrassment. She couldn't even say "Hi" to people she knew; a crowd outside of her apartment that thinks she's an escaped psychopath that's on the brink of suicide was probably out of her comfort zone. Sparking a cigarette, Hijikata averted his gaze. Obviously, she wasn't about to speak first.

"Muzai, I need you to tell me what happened. Start from the beginning."

Hazel eyes flicked up to Hijikata, and Muzai offered a slow nod. She placed a hand to her head and sighed before shifting her weight. It was obvious that something more was wrong. The woman had done nothing but anxiously glance around the room; mostly at walls, or rub the side of her head. If Hijikata had to guess, he would assume she had a headache. Maybe a silent anxiety attack. He couldn't be sure without any confirmation from the woman herself.

She still wasn't talking. Across the table from her, Hijikata glanced at his cigarette. His hand was resting on the table, and he tried to figure another approach. From the looks of things, she wasn't about to start talking. He found himself confused; she had spoken perfectly clear before. Her voice was normal back at her apartment but from the way things were looking, she was unable to maintain. A second was spent pondering the inconsistency of her speech.

Standing up, Hijikata allowed a sigh to escape him. She had fallen back to her old silent patterns. He would have to get closer, and let her whisper the story. He grabbed the back of his chair and carried it to Muzai's side before seating himself. The woman glanced towards him yet didn't pick her head up. The vice commander placed a hand on her back, and she turned to acknowledge him as he spoke.

"Listen, I need you to keep it together and talk to me." Damn that probably wasn't the best approach. He already knew that telling her to talk would only make it worse. When Muzai sighed, he immediately tried to cover the blunder. With poorly chosen jokes, of course.

"Uh, I know I didn't give you enough mayonnaise yesterday, but you didn't have to throw yourself out of the window over it." Patting the woman's shoulder, Hijikata maintained a serious expression. He took a drag of his cigarette as she turned to peer at him; frowning.

"And didn't I tell you not to invite men into your apartment for your little pole dancing specials?" Raising a brow, Hijikata met Muzai's gaze. Her frown immediately faded into an odd smirk, which hinted that he was moving in the right direction.

"You haven't invited me; scared I'll bust the place? I've already found your stash of illegal material. I could put you away for your little peep shows, and indecent deception of poor men. Luring them back to your place to feed like some sort of succubus; have you no shame?" Falsely glaring at the woman, Hijikata watched as she placed a hand over her mouth and tried to stifle a fit of giggles. He had done it; broken into her voice again. How many times would he have to coax her into talking before she wouldn't have any trouble with it?

"I only let _you_ escape to throw '_the man' _off my trail." The light words earned a relieved snort of humor from Hijikata, and he shifted his gaze. Slowly shaking his head, the man allowed his palm to slip from Muzai's back. Her amused expression fell, and she murmured a light apology. Waving the words away, Hijikata turned to face her. Clearly, Muzai knew what was expected of her. She nodded, and rubbed the bridge of her nose; confirming Hijikata's headache theory.

"After you left I didn't really do anything. I spent some time working, cleaned up; nothing unusual. The news people gave up a few hours later, and I went to go see Daddy. The doctor wants to keep him for a while... He wasn't too happy about that, but... Well, I heard him telling the doctor not to tell me something." The woman paused and shifted her gaze. Her hands crept to the table, and she laced her fingers together.

Hijikata patiently awaited the rest of the story as Muzai shifted her weight. She turned towards him, and her eyes met his with stifling intensity.

"I think something's wrong."

Flecks of gold and grey hung in the woman's irises, and Hijikata attempted to maintain eye contact. He didn't know how to react to that statement. Clearly, she was upset, but he didn't really know Kento. Couldn't really comment. He seemed like a good guy; pleasant in a slightly overbearing manner, yet Hijikata had nothing to say. Muzai obviously noticed, and her gaze drifted from his.

"So, I went back home. Nothing was different. I went to bed, woke up and took a shower. I was going to stop by the doctor's office again, but when I came out, some guy was sitting on my couch."

Now, the useful part. Analytical mode activated. Time to pick her story apart in the back of his mind and look for contradictions. No, she wasn't a criminal, but it was standard procedure. Even Muzai couldn't escape this process.

"I couldn't talk. I think the only thing I said was 'Wha' and my voice cut out. He was calm. Looked at me, and stood up. Skipped introductions. Apparently, he already knew me, but I don't know how." Shaking her head, Muzai frowned. As if she was trying to make sense of the scene as well.

"He asked about my speech. Of course, I couldn't answer, but I guess it's obvious. I didn't even move, but he pulled a gun out of his coat. Said that I was going to climb out of the window; kill myself. He wanted me to write a note, but I wouldn't. The whole time he just kept pushing the gun in my face. I figured he would either shoot me or not. Couldn't really do much about that, just try to stay on the 'not' side." Leaning onto the table, Muzai sighed. Her eyes flicked to the ceiling, and Hijikata continued to study her. She dropped her head, and laid in her folded arms; seemingly exhausted.

"So I climbed out of the window. I'd rather be stuck on a ledge and possibly fall instead of be shot, bleed to death or have a bunch of surgeries and be pronounced half-a-human."  
"What did he look like?" The moment she finished Talking, Hijikata picked up his side of the conversation. Story first; most people forget after they focus on something else. Now he could work with details. Muzai met his gaze, and her brow furrowed.

"Familiar. I don't know... Yellow eyes. black hair. He was kind of short... Like, shorter than me... Which is ridiculous... I just got bullied by a midget."

Shifting his gaze, Hijikata attempted not to laugh at her. He had to stay serious- this was serious! The man instinctively forced himself to take a drag of his cigarette; as if that would help. His expression must have been obvious; Muzai leaned up and glared at him. Upon seeing the expression, Hijikata choked on the smoke, and had to turn away. The man placed his fist to his mouth; coughing.

"Don't make that face! He was muscular, and... Well, I don't know how to fight!"

Unable to stop himself, Hijikata felt laughter forcing its way out of his chest and nose ; disguised by another fit of coughing. He shook his head as if that would discourage the tone, but it had already escaped him. She knew he was laughing at her now.

"Don't know how to fight?!" He barely managed to echo, and Muzai crossed her arms.

"I dance, I don't- Shut up."

Yeah, right. Because she hadn't been dueling with him just a short while ago. Sure, that was just from dancing. If Muzai expected Hijikata to believe that, she was out of her mind. It had actually taken a good amount of effort to subdue her. It took a moment to regain his composure. By the time Hijikata turned back to Muzai, she was staring at the table; obviously upset. A sigh escaped the man, and he stubbed his cigarette out on a nearby ashtray. Now he needed to find out how she had been located. Calling Mori was out of the question- he had his anniversary. Unknowingly, Hijikata spoke before considering how to tell the woman beside him.

"You can't go back to your apartment..."

Muzai immediately turned to frown at him. Her gaze was far too intense to hold this time; Hijikata stared at the cigarette on the edge of the ashtray. He couldn't smoke that. His throat was hurting now. But he had the urge to at least try.

"If somebody broke in to kill you, there's only one reason why. It has to do with the case, and we can't let you go back now. Maybe to get some clothes or something but..."

"What do you mean? Where am I supposed to live? What about daddy? I can't move, moving puts stress on-"  
"No. You can't go back." Cutting Muzai off, Hijikata crossed his arms. He didn't want to hear her speech about her father's health and stress or smoking. No. He wasn't in the mood for that. If anything, his mind had started to race again. Witness protection? Maybe. But then she would have to change her name and go to a different city, that was a lot of work. He didn't want to get a higher level of the law involved. Turning to face the woman, he felt his brow furrow with thought.

"You said the doctor wants to keep your father for a while, right?" Muzai slowly nodded, and her expression betrayed what appeared to be a calm demeanor. She was still frowning, comparable to a deer in headlights. It was as if she was expecting the worst.  
"Leave him there for a while. He'll understand... And you..." Pausing, Hijikata met the hazel eyes that were already holding his.

"For now, you should stay here-" The moment Hijikata spoke, the door crashed open. Muzai jumped, and his gaze immediately snapped to the forms falling inside. Kondo, and Yamazaki fell to the floor, yelping in surprise, while Sougo simply turned to peer at them. Immediately jumping to his feet, Hijikata glared at the three men.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

Grinning from his spot on the floor, Kondo turned over. He rubbed his head, and an embarrassed chuckle escaped him.

"Well, I just couldn't wait to hear what happened..."

Yamazaki sat up, mirroring Kondo's pose to a T.  
"Yeah... We didn't mean to interrupt... But-" As the spy tried to find an excuse, Sougo walked into the room. He stepped over the pair on the broken door and ignored the vice commander's scowl. Leaning towards Muzai, Sougo offered an invisible smile. The woman had covered her mouth with both hands. She was staring at the intrusive trio with wide eyes; shocked.

"Zai-Chan has a pretty voice." Flatly stating the observation, Sougo continued to stare at the woman. She leaned back, and Hijikata's hands formed fists. They had ruined everything! Nosiness had erased all of the progress he had made in the fraction of a second! It had taken the vice commander time to get Muzai talking again. Hijikata ha tried so hard, thinking of jokes, only to have everything go to waste due to an explosion of idiots.

"You can't blame me for wanting to know more about my little girl, Toshi!" Kondo had spotted Hijikata's frustration, yet was offering the wrong response.

"Welcome to the Shinsengumi! We'll make sure you have everything you need, Zai-Chan!" And Yamazaki was still being annoying. Muzai was still staring at Sougo with eyes as wide as dinner plates while he told her how her voice sounded. Good lord. This was a disaster. What a way to welcome a social wreck to their home. Bombard her with conversation and get in her personal space. And those bastards had been listening to her voice! Only Hijikata was allowed to do that!

"OI! You trying to kill her?! She's gonna need therapy after all this, get out!"  
"She already needs therapy." The snide remark originated from no other than Sougo. Of course.

Snagging Sougo by his coat, Hijikata pulled the sadist out of the door. Kondo and Yamazaki were still awkwardly chuckling and welcoming Muzai to the building. Grabbing the edge of the door, Hijikata started to pull it upwards.

"So I guess that means you're coming to the hot springs with us-"  
"That's perfect! We can go shopping together and pick out matching father/daughter towels-"

The moment the door got high enough to slide the idiots off, Hijikata shoved it back to the place it belonged. No, it wasn't connected to the hinges, but it would do. Holding the door in place with his back, Hijikata panted. He peered at Muzai, only to find her exactly as she had been when this mess started. Covering her mouth and wide eyed, only, this time she was staring off into space. She had frozen. Great, they broke her. Welcome to the Shinsengumi.

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**A/N: Hi all :) **  
**Sorry the update took a while. It's a bit shorter than usual, because it's a transitional point. The next should be longer.**  
**Thank you all for your patience and reviews. I appreciate the time you spend reading my story :)**


	37. Chapter 37

Later in the night, Hijikata laid in bed, still contemplating the extent of the case. A room had been prepared outside of the Shinsengumi building to house Muzai. Regulations forbade any women from residing in the same quarters as the men. Muzai was no exception. Kondo had instructed the men to clear a room beside the training room; still within the walls of the Shinsengumi but far enough to ensure all levels of decency were maintained. Though the vice commander knew he needed to sleep, he felt he couldn't. Not until he figured how Muzai had been found. Or who was behind everything.

In all honesty, Hijikata felt as though he had seen somebody that fit her provided description before. Somewhere, but he wasn't sure. It was best if he checked that book Kondo had found. Pictures of the patients would definitely help, he only wished happy meadows had sent the other half. He would have to yell at them for that. Yelling always worked...

To think that within the gates of the Shinsengumi, a woman was sleeping. It was unheard of. The men would have to be on their best behavior. Hijikata had no clue when a woman had last stayed on the grounds, if ever. He knew he didn't like the thought of it; men could be sneaky. Especially when faced with the tempting proposition of a possible love interest or glimpses of a woman. What if somebody was trying to spy on her? The building was too far and insulated to hear a scream. But- Muzai couldn't scream! She was defenseless! The officers on patrol were probably no better. Just waiting to steal a glance of an innocent woman that was minding her own business.

Those savages.

They couldn't be trusted.

Most of the men would stand guard at the gate. Others would patrol the halls, and entire grounds. Hijikata had yet to hear a single person pass his door, which meant that they were somewhere else. Focusing on something, or someone else. He knew that the room Muzai was sleeping in had no lock. She could be blissfully resting while some starved man crept into her room.

Sitting up, Hijikata stared at his door. No footsteps. They were definitely up to no good. The vice commander threw his covers off and pushed himself to his feet. He would just check. Nothing serious, just glance over the grounds once before allowing himself to rest. Those idiots were slacking off to be indecent. The moment Hijikata pulled the door open, his scowl fell. Moonlight poured through his window, only to reveal the woman standing in the dark doorway. She peered up at him, equally blank and clutching a pillow. A second passed, and she glanced down the hallway. Without so much as a greeting or explanation, she placed a hand on the man's bare chest and pushed him back into his room. Muzai quickly followed, and closed the door behind herself.

After locking said door, she gazed up at Hijikata again. He started before she could.

"What are you-"  
"Shh..." Bringing a single finger to her lips, Muzai hushed the man.

The vice commander frowned down at her and his eyes flicked to the pillow in her arms as he started once more; his voice lower.  
_"What the hell are you doing in here?!" _If there was such thing as a whisper-shout, Hijikata was the master of it.

Shifting her weight, Muzai peered across the room. She brushed a dark lock of hair back and tucked it behind her ear and she leaned to one side.

"It's creepy out there..."  
"Well you can't come in here! It's full of-" Once more, Hijikata was shushed. "It's full of men", he finished, and Muzai sighed.

"But... That room is full of stinky equipment. It smells like a giant gym sock... And there are holes in the walls... I think some wild animal died in there or something..." The woman whispered the words, and Hijikata started to shake his head.  
"_No_, you're gonna get me in trouble-"  
"Aw, _come on_... I'll sneak out in the morning, I promise. Do you know how hard it was to get in here without being caught?" She stepped towards him, and the vice commander contemplated her words.

Yeah, Muzai was probably right. It would be harder to get her back to the training room now. He had no choice. With a sigh, Hijikata placed a hand to his head. He reluctantly nodded, and murmured his defeated response.

"Oh, alright. But the moment the sun comes up, you better be back in that room." Not even a second after the words escaped him Muzai was nodding. She grinned up at him, and Hijikata rolled his eyes. Stupid woman. Sneaking into the main building and into his room. She was skating on thin ice. If they got caught... Well, he didn't really know what would happen. Usually, a lecture, but... If Kondo thought he was doing something with Muzai... Surely the older man would kill him. With a rule book. And maybe the matching father/daughter towels he was talking about getting. Yeah. This was ridiculous. Way too much of a risk to be happy about.

The vice commander watched as Muzai walked around his room in her usual shorts and tank top combo. Her eyes flicked over his closet and to his drawers as she casually strolled around.

"Do you have another futon in here?" Though she was seeking a bed, she pulled one of Hijikata's drawers open. With a furrowed brow, he eyed the woman's back.

"_Oi_- Don't go through other people's things!"

A light giggle sounded, and Hijikata moved to Muzai's side.  
"Why is there a bottle of mayonnaise in here?" The woman held up a full bottle of the oily delight and Hijikata snatched it from her hand.  
"_Give me that_! What do you think you're doing? A futon wouldn't be in there!"  
Ever so slowly, Muzai turned to peer up at him. Her smirk was alarming enough, yet when paired with her narrowed eyes, it became apparent that this was going to be a troublesome night.

"Are you hiding something?"  
When he didn't respond, Muzai's smirk grew more prominent. She leaned towards him; obviously intense on taunting the man.

"Is it dirty magazines?"  
"Wha-"  
"It is. You're such a pervert."

Immediately defensive, Hijikata shook his head. He clenched his fists as if that would make his point.  
"_No it's not_! Why would you automatically think that?! Don't just assume the worst about people!" The man nearly shouted the words, and Muzai blankly peered up at him. Seconds passed, and he glared at her, only to find the woman snickering at his reaction. She placed a hand over her mouth, and shook her head.

"Who said that was a bad thing? I was just looking for something to arrest you over." Still snickering, Muzai smacked the man with her pillow. He grabbed the edge and snatched it away as she started towards his closet. Without warning, the man smacked her back, hissing a command through the darkness.

"Stop snooping around and lay down somewhere! There are sheets in the closet!"

When Muzai swiped at the pillow he had stolen, Hijikata moved it out of her reach.

"Anywhere?"

Rolling his eyes, the vice commander nodded. He tossed the pillow back at the woman, and walked to his bed. Without a word, he laid back down and the room fell silent. The man pulled his covers over himself once more as Muzai stared at him through the dark. She had paused, yet she walked to the closet and found the sheets in question. Hijikata closed his eyes, expecting her to pick a spot on the floor.

Instead, his covers lifted and the woman crawled into the futon beside him. Frowning, Hijikata turned to meet the woman's eyes. She was peering at him with an all-too-guilty expression. She knew exactly what was wrong with this. That was proven by the fact that she felt the need to use puppy eyes. It wouldn't work. Hijikata knew better. If they got caught he was already dead.

"What do you think you're doing?" Sitting up, the vice commander eyed the woman. She remained in place, head on pillow as she met his eyes.

"Your closet smells like mayo... I don't want those sheets. And you said anywhere."

"Not _here_! _I'm _sleeping here!"  
"Yeah. I noticed." Rolling her eyes, Muzai sighed. One stray leg wandered to Hijikata's and laced around his as he stared down at her.  
"It's not like we haven't slept in the same bed before... I promise not to violate you." Snickering, Muzai placed her hand over her mouth as the vice commander's eyes narrowed. Not funny. She was the one that made that entire misunderstanding with her sparse words that lacked description.

"Don't laugh, that's not funny!"  
Shh, lay back down." A single arm found its way across Hijikata's hips, and he glanced down at it as the woman settled into her claimed space. She continued to stare up at him; smirking as though nothing was wrong with this scene. Her palm slid up his chest and started to pull him to the futon; trying to trick him into going along with her. But... It was a really soft hand... And a really delicate push that kinda made him want to- NO. She needed to move.

Grabbing her arm, Hijikata pulled the woman's hand away. He laid it on her own side and scooted away. He was not comfortable with this. It wasn't funny- she was stealing his bed and possibly trying to get him killed. The man turned his back to her, and laid down; hoping to ignore Muzai until sunrise. It just wasn't right. She wasn't supposed to be in the building, let alone his bed. It was horrible. He was trapped. If he tried to correct this, and kick her out, he would get caught and have to explain why she was there in the first place. If he stayed there and acted like nothing was wrong, he could be caught and killed in the morning. All it would take was for one sadist to break into his room. That was all. Then he would be skinned alive.

Even though he had taken care to distance himself, a figure behind him moved closer. A persistent arm draped over his side after finding a way under his own, and a woman pressed into his back. Staring straight ahead, Hijikata froze. What had he done to deserve this?! He had tried to be a good man his entire life, but this woman was trying to be his death! She wouldn't let him move away, and had cornered him into letting her into his room. Into his bed. She was evil. A murmur in his ear did no good to calm the man. Especially when paired with the words Muzai had chosen.

"Maybe next time, we'll sneak you into _my_ bed."

Wide eyed, Hijikata frowned at the wall. What? What?! What was she doing?! What was this woman talking about?! Did she expect him to believe that this was regular shy Muzai?! That this Muzai had no alcohol in her system, and was speaking with a straight face?! He needed to run! She needed to go somewhere! Anywhere else! Why would he be in her bed!? What would they be doing? Oh god, what would she do to him?

"Oi, calm down... You're heart feels like it's about to burst, I can feel it through your back..."

Practically jumping to a sitting position, Hijikata pried her hand away once more. He turned to face Muzai, unable to conceal his alarmed expression.

"_Don't say weird things like that- It's not_- My heart is always like this! Go to sleep and-" Before the man could continue, the woman was covering his mouth to hush him. The vice commander continued, and his muffled words filled the room as she shoved him back into the bed and tried to stifle all form of sound. When Hijikata pulled her hand away, the woman replaced it with her other and crawled over him; hushing the vice commander.  
"Why- even on my back- personal space- decent-" Barely any words could be heard now, and Muzai was still peering down at the man with wide eyes.

"You're gonna get us caught..." The murmur was enough to still the man yet he suspiciously eyed Muzai. She peered down at him, and her gaze flicked to their positioning for a split second. Glancing at their laps, Hijikata shifted under her. Although he was immediately uncomfortable, he willed himself to ignore it. This kept happening to them; he had to act like it was nothing. There was no reason to freak out. They weren't doing anything. It had no sexual undertones. Nothing was going on.

Moments passed, and Muzai moved her hand from the vice commander's mouth. He remained in place; tense and waiting for her to back away. Not that he could grab her and move her himself. In less than a second, Hijikata had formed a new policy; as little contact as possible. No touching. Apparently, Muzai was thinking the opposite of him. She leaned into him, and her palms met his chest as the woman whispered to him.

"I've... Been meaning to ask you... Uh... When... Well... When we're... Uh... Together... Uh..."

Frowning, Hijikata stared up at the woman. Her voice had slowly grown smaller, until it became clear that she was nervous. Her gaze was averted, and she unexpectedly leaned up. Muzai's hands slid down Hijikata's chest, only to settle on his abs as she dropped her head.

She couldn't speak.

Leaning up, Hijikata raised an eyebrow as he watched the woman look at everything but him. She started to fiddle with her fingers, awkwardly touching the tips together while he waited for her to finish. She didn't. Instead, the woman moved to the side, opting to get back into his bed and ignore him. Well, that made perfect sense. After stammering a partial question, she had retreated to fidget alone.

Peering at Muzai, the vice commander moved back to his futon. She scooted over, providing ample amount of space and he continued to eye he laid back down; on his stomach this time. He was completely guarded. She couldn't attack him in his sleep, or do anything weird. He wasn't going to touch her. Rules had been made for a reason, and Hijikata was not the one to break them. Not exactly. It wasn't like he was breaking the rules; she was. It was all Muzai's fault. He hadn't forced her into his room, therefore, he was innocent.

He chose to act as though she wasn't there. It was the easiest approach, and she had clearly overexerted herself with whatever she had been trying to say. It had been an odd start to a question. She had been meaning to ask; when they were together- And nothing more? That sounded like something he should urge her to complete, but he knew that all the prompt in the world would have the opposite effect. Even if she actually wanted to say it, she probably couldn't. How troublesome. Now the vice commander was left to ponder the unspoken end of her question, and that would most likely take all night. There were a million different ways that could go. It could be serious, or playful. She was unpredictable to a certain extent.

While, Hijikata could somewhat understand her tendencies, he couldn't read her mind. The man leaned to the side, turning his back to Muzai. He listened to the silence of the room; staring at the wall as if it could talk to him. If it could tell him what she had intended to say. That would be convenient, right about now. Sighing, the vice commander murmured to the woman behind him.

"You should get to sleep. It's gonna be a long car ride tomorrow... And it's past curfew; you're not above seppuku."

Apparently, his last statement was taken with a humorous undertone. Muzai started to snicker, and her hand found the man's back. He barely moved under her touch; it had been unanticipated. When a soft tone met his ear, Hijikata glanced to the side.

"Don't you mean jigai?"

Frowning, the man turned to glare at Muzai over his shoulder. He knew what the female version was; didn't need her to tell him. He was accustomed to dealing with other men though, and hadn't even thought about gender specifics.  
"Don't make me prove a point. I already knew-"  
"Did I upset you? You don't like being corrected?" Muzai's smirk only served to annoy Hijikata. And tell him that she was intentionally taunting him.

"I didn't need correcting! I already-"  
"Let me make it up to you." Once again, the woman crawled over him, only to seat herself on the small of his back. Leaning up, Hijikata turned to glare at her. What the hell was she doing? Clearly, she couldn't be referring to sex. If she was, she was doing it wrong.

"What the hell are you doing?"  
A light giggle was the only response that the man received. The hands on his back moved to his shoulders and started to press into his skin in a light massage.

"Bribing you; so I don't have to kill myself."  
Snorting in amusement, Hijikata shook his head. He slowly sank back into the futon, nestling into his folded arms as the woman rubbed his back. Her hands were soft against his skin, yet the woman managed enough force to lull his muscles into a dormant state.

"Officers can't accept bribes... Or money while they're on shift." As thumbs slid down either side of his spine, Hijikata closed his eyes to enjoy the sensation. Muzai's fingertips were cold to the touch, yet welcome in the heat of the night. She focused on the middle of his back as she responded.

"Well, I won't tell if you don't... And the moment you lose your shirt, you're not exactly on shift."

"I'm always on shift." Sighing the words, Hijikata turned his head to allow his body full relaxation. This had to be some sort of dancer trick. He didn't know if dancers needed massages, but if they did, and it was like this, he was slightly jealous. Maybe he was in the wrong profession. Or maybe Muzai was just going to pretend that he needed the same treatment. Time was spent, occasionally murmuring back and forth through the dark. Each carefully massaged muscle seemed to push Hijikata closer to sleep, yet the light conversation kept him conscious. Muzai noted that he was tense, and he hummed under his breath in agreement.

"Chasing criminals and stopping women from throwing themselves off buildings will do that."

A low chuckle graced his ears as the lazy words filled the air. Muzai's fingertips lightly brushed over his skin, causing goose bumps to rise on his arms. Palms slid up his back, halting at his shoulders, as Muzai laid down. One of her hands slid from his side and under his arm as she settled into his back.  
"My hands are getting sore..."

The woman's breath met Hijikata's shoulder blade, and he barely nodded.  
"That's fine." He felt like deadweight. As if his body had already fallen asleep, and his mind was centimeters behind in the race. The man considered the fact that he was hogging the futon. It passed as a fleeting thought, but he still acknowledged that fact.

"You comfortable?"  
"Mhmm." Muzai's response was enough for him. If she didn't want to move, he wasn't going to either. It was well past curfew, and though they were technically leaving in the morning, that didn't mean that he could slack off. He still had to be up early, and wake the men. Still had to assemble the men, so Kondo could appoint the man in charge. While they were gone, that is. Only a handful of men could come to the hot springs, lest they look suspicious. When Muzai's hand found a resting place, she sighed, and the vice commander echoed the silent 'goodnight'. His fingertips barely found hers, and they lightly laced together as the two drifted to dreamland.

* * *

**A/N: Hi all! Sorry this update took so long! I was going to write a bit more, but I'll save it for the next chapter so I can update tonight, and have another (hopefully tomorrow). Thank you all for your reviews and patience :)**


	38. Chapter 38

Movement on Hijikata's back caused him to shift in place. Somebody nuzzled into his back, and the vice commander spent a second to sort through his clouded mind. It was Muzai. She hadn't moved all night. Ever so slowly, the weight on his back was relieved. Their entwined fingers were disconnected as she sat up. A light sigh sounded and soon the woman moved from his back altogether. Hijikata remained in place, his eyes still closed. A hand lightly touched his hair, brushing it away from his face. The man appeared to be sleeping, and intended to stay as such until his alarm went off. Warm breath touched his neck, and he could feel the woman within inches of his body. A pair of lips met his pulse point, just under his jaw, and once again, the woman's presence was retracted.

Completely silent, Muzai moved away. Hijikata listened to her footsteps as they grew distant. The lock on his door clicked, and within a matter of seconds, she was gone. Leaning up, Hijikata glanced over his shoulder. He studied the door for a second before fixing his eyes on the window. It was still dark outside, and within the walls of his room as well. She had kept her word. A second was spent, lazily searching the floor for his phone, which had somehow been tangled in his sheets. Once the man flipped it open, he found that he had less than half an hour to awaken. Might as well get up. In five more minutes, that is.

* * *

Once the vice commander's alarm woke him, he followed his morning routine. Get up, shower, wake the men and have breakfast. The vice commander went through his usual checklist, ending with the best chore of the morning; first cigarette of the day, lit. Though he walked the halls for a brief moment, Hijikata opted to join the others in the dining hall. For reasons unknown, he was surprised to find Muzai eating breakfast with Sougo. Figures. It made no sense. The sadist constantly bothered her, and intentionally make her uncomfortable, yet she still stuck around him. He had tortured her, for crying out loud! Nevertheless, she was seated beside him, eating a small meal. Sougo offered a rare smile, to which Muzai grinned. The expression was clearly the replacement of a laugh, and Hijikata wondered what the hell was so funny. Why she was even around Sougo.

Without thinking about it, the man bumped into an unexpected body. Just as he was about to snap a defensive line about watching where an underling was going, he looked at the person, Kondo.

"Oh, Toushi! I was just about to call you on the intercom!" Scratching his head, Kondo grinned at the vice commander. Hijikata's glare had immediately changed to his dormant expression as he cocked his head to the side.

"Oh?"  
"Yeah, you'll never guess what came in the mail today!" A long orange file was held up and Kondo's eyes shifted from Hijikata's. "Where's Sougo? I want him to see too..." Glancing over the cafeteria, Kondo caught sight of the sadist; charming Muzai with his evil ways. Hijikata had almost hoped that the commander would be displeased. That he would rush over to separate the two, due to their unlikely friendship. Of course, he was wrong. Nothing wrong with hoping.

"Oh, he's with Zai..."  
Maybe. Just Maybe, Kondo was going to react properly for once. Hijikata was sure he had seen a frown. Coldly peering at the two, the vice commander took a drag of his cigarette. This was it. Separation time, in three... Two...

Kondo turned back to Hijikata starry eyed. A large, goofy grin had been plastered on his face, and if Hijikata didn't know any better, he would think the man was near tears. Awkwardly peering at the commander, Hijikata remained still.

"My little girl is bonding! Aren't they cute? I think they have a thing- it's gotta be a thing! They're always together! We should leave them alone- who knows? She might talk to him! I bet she's gonna talk to him!"

With each word, Hijikata felt his face twisting into a glare. _No_. It was _not_ a _thing_. If anybody knew, it was Hijikata. If it _was _a _thing_, then why had Muzai slept on _him_ the previous night? It was nothing. Scowling at the idiots that were huddled together at the empty end of a table, Hijikata watched as their stupid grins persisted. Sougo grabbed his tray, and Muzai's as well as he stood up. The look Muzai gave him as she watched was unusual. Different. She had never looked at the vice commander like that. She followed, standing as well. The captain pointed to a bottle in the middle of the table, and Muzai's gaze shifted to what Hijikata knew to be mayonnaise.

One of his.

But why? Had she used it? Sougo obviously wouldn't, unless it was to contaminate his food supply. Beside him, Kondo was still gushing.  
"They're like a couple! They're so-"  
"They're not a couple; she's older than him!" Turning to face the commander, Hijikata practically barked the words. Kondo paused, frowning in confusion as the vice commander dropped his dead cigarette and fumbled to place another between him lips. As he flicked his mayo-lighter, Kondo's eyes remained fixated on him.

"Eh? Toushi, I just said-"  
"I heard you! I heard you and I'm telling you they're not! Just look at Sougo- do you think that he could-" The vice commander had cut Kondo off, only to be cut off himself.  
"Calm down, you're turning red. Maybe you're smoking too much? That's probably it, you're out of air, you need to breathe some time, Toushi." A small, awkward smile had crept to Kondo's expression, and he defensively held his hands up as Hijikata eyed him.

"I'm calm! I'm always calm! I'm just telling you that they're not-"  
"Who's not a couple?"

Pausing at the sound of the deadpan voice, Hijikata glanced to the side. Damn it, he had been lured into a trap. Kondo had unintentionally stolen his attention and Sougo had crept up behind him. Slowly turning around, Hijikata tried to even his expression out. What was before him horrified him to no end. Sougo was offering a mayonnaise bottle with one hand, while the other was casually resting on Muzai's hip. Oh god, they did look like a couple. A same height, meal sharing couple.

The moment Hijikata snatched the mayo bottle from Sougo's hand, the sadist pulled an all-too-sneaky trick. The bottom of the bottle had been facing Hijikata, while the end, which had apparently been open, was pointed back towards him an Muzai. For a second, all background noise and chatter seemed to disappear, as Hijikata caught sight of the sadist's plan.

The mayonnaise was squirted all over Muzai. Jaw ajar, Hijikata blankly peered at the woman as she gazed down at her blue shirt. It had gotten in her hair, covered her chest. She was covered in mayonnaise. This was some sort of tact intent on torturing the vice commander. Sougo's smirk spoke loudly enough. But if life was an anime, this would be the time that Muzai had sparkles and a soft pink background. Something completely irrelevant, and horrible.

One hand raised to her hair, and she eyed the mayo that clung to the tips of her brown tresses. A palm on Hijikata's shoulder urged him to do something other than stare at the woman that was studying her clothes.

"Toushi- What'd you do to her? Why'd you do that to her?" Kondo hadn't noticed that this was Sougo's doing. "Are you bullying my little girl? Is he bullying you, Zai?" Still shaking Hijikata with one hand, Kondo stepped beside him.

"Oh, Zai-Chan, that was clumsy of him. Now you're all dirty."

Wide eyed, Hijikata stared at Sougo's devious smirk. He was pure unadulterated evil. Muzai pulled her tank top away from her stomach, and used it to wipe a spot on her chin, missing a splotch on her cheek. What Hijikata would give to lick that off. Could he do it? Of course not; he was being blamed for this, but he would accept that false charge. She was covered in his favorite treat; good enough to eat... The woman's shirt fell, covering her toned stomach, and Hijikata remained still. What was he thinking? He could have those kinds of thoughts- not so close to Kondo or Sougo... Or Muzai! No- bad brain! This was no time to think about licking a woman... No, there was never a time to consider that!

"You're going to need new clothes... You should take that off before you start smelling like mayonnaise..." Sougo had the audacity to grip the edge of Muzai's shirt, and pull it upwards. The woman eyed him, yet before she reacted, Hijikata was ahead of her; smacking Sougo's hand away.

"Oi! Don't undress her in a room full of men! No- don't undress her at all!" The reaction earned a sideways glance from Muzai, and false innocence from Sougo.

"Hijikata-San, if she doesn't change it'll stain her shirt. It's all over her chest."

Almost instinctively, the vice commander's gaze flicked to the chest in question. Yeah, she really was covered in mayo... Deliciously awaiting his- No, no. Pure thoughts.

Muzai's eyes flicked to the floor as she toyed with a piece of her hair.

"I've got some extra clothes, Zai-Chan. You can take a shower, I'll leave them for you."  
Nodding, the woman glanced towards Sougo. Her eyes met Hijikata's for a split second before she turned and walked away. Well, that was a relief. A second was spent, watching her walk before Hijikata glared down at Sougo.  
"What the hell was that?!" He moved to smack the sadist, only to be blocked with a single forearm.

"What? You did it, Hijikata-San."

As he scowled down at the smiling sadist, an orange file was pushed between them. Both men peered at Kondo, of whom had grown unexpectedly serious during their everlasting war.

"Happy Meadows sent the files. We have pictures and information on every patient here."

Posture lessened, and the men focused on the file between them.

* * *

"This morning, I was just scratching my balls as usual, and I stepped outside to find this!" Holding up the folder, Kondo grinned at the men seated across from him. They had moved to his office after Sougo provided clothes for Muzai. The woman was still showering. By a unanimous decision, their departure was postponed by a few hours to go through the patient logs.

"Complete with full color pictures, and quotes from the patients in regards to their conditions!" Still smiling, Kondo laid the folder on the counter. "It's gender specific," he added, "one half male, the other female".

Nodding, Hijikata placed a hand on the package. He opened one end, and pulled the half booklet from within. The first he came across was the male section. It was laid aside to flip through the women. He would have Muzai flip through the booklet, to see if she spotted the man that had been in her apartment. With one hand supporting the back of the book, Hijikata flipped through the pages. He needed more information on their suspect. That was always helpful.

"Yashito Hina..." Murmuring the name aloud, Hijikata tuned out whatever conversation had been sparked between Sougo and Kondo. He wanted to learn more about what they were looking for. What they would be faced with. One girl wasn't an issue.

When the attractive blonde came into sight, Hijikata stopped flipping the pages. He studied her picture; her eyes, and naturally pout lips, hoping to remember every detail. She had a beauty mark just under her left eye. In short, she was a total bombshell. The kind of girl that seemed perfect, and has the life everybody wants. Drinks all night, and has a ton of men taking care of her. Her life would be perfect, if not for the dead family and psychiatric ward. Even a picture as simple as the one before him seemed to be magazine quality. As if she was posing for the camera with smoldering eyes and perfect makeup. Her quote was the most interesting thing on the page. Highlighted in red, and in bold print, it glared at Hijikata from the paper.

**"I don't believe in the word crazy. What is 'insane'? That's just your way of saying I'm different, and you're scared. Really, I'm not crazy mister... I just **_**hate everything about you and this stupid, degrading, worthless place!"**_

Okay. That seemed pretty crazy. To think that something so alarming could come from lips like hers. It was a waste. Just an observation, nothing serious... If he had the book, did that mean he could look up anybody? All of the women were in there right? So if he flipped the pages and found Muzai's name, it wouldn't be too suspicious, would it? Sougo and Kondo seemed pretty occupied with whatever. They were talking about the case, and paying him no mind. It was filed in order, Kikuno wouldn't be hard to find.

A sideways glance was spared before Hijikata slowly turned the pages. Multiple pictures were passed and ignored before he finally found the one he was looking for. It was italicized, not bold like the other woman's. Longer, and in regular black ink. The red must have been some sort of categorization, a warning, so to speak. Though he felt a bit guilty, as if he was snooping, Hijikata allowed his eyes to trail over the woman's picture. It was completely different from the last. Muzai's head was turned, as if she didn't want to look at the camera. She was biting down on her lower lip; uncomfortable .

Glancing towards Kondo and Sougo, Hijikata checked to see if they had caught onto him. No. They weren't looking at him at all. His eyes fixed on her quote, quickly skimming over the lines to prevent the notice of his comrades.

_"I always think 'It'll be better tomorrow. No, it won't... This is my fault. This isn't my fault'. Every day is the same..." _Pausing, Hijikata allowed his eyes to flick towards Sougo again. Still, the Sadist was talking to Kondo. He had time. There was another italicized bit, that the vice commander had spotted half way down the page. He assumed it was another quote. Above it, a line read "what do you want everybody here to know about you". It seemed they had mini interviews with these patients. He hadn't seen more on Hina, the other woman. He would have to check later. But for now... He just wanted to learn a bit more... About... The, uh, witness and possible suspect. He had a right to look into it. From the above line, he figured it was safe to assume that she had a bit of a depression streak. Nothing serious, not serious to throw herself off a building over, at least.

It was probably a counseling technique, the interview. The asylum had probably been using the patients to help one another; form bonds and offer support. That made sense. Reading over the answer, Hijikata found more than he had expected.

_"I understand what you're saying; I'm human too. You're not talking to a wall... I just freeze. I know it doesn't seem like much to you but don't act like you don't see me... Yeah, one question makes me freeze. My mouth goes dry. It sends a shiver down my spine; I'm terrified. People terrify me. But I don't know what to say... And when I do, I can't. I can't prevent this."_

Was that how she felt? For some reason, the fact that she had been tortured seemed a lot worse now. He hadn't committed the crime, but still. He felt bad all the same. His gaze averted as he closed the book, and reached for his cigarettes. Now he had snooped and knew things he shouldn't. He already knew things he shouldn't. When he thought about it, Hijikata noticed something that hadn't crossed him before. Everything he knew about Muzai, her past or her thoughts, she hadn't told him. She never told him anything, really. Still hadn't opened up to him about it. Only when she had been drinking, as scarce as that had been.

Her father, Kento had told the vice commander. Sachiko had told him. Kondo was also a part of his forbidden knowledge, but never Muzai. She didn't mention anything like this to him at all. He had caught small glimpses of it, of her, but in general, she seemed fine. Upbeat, and humble. Maybe a bit too hard on herself with her obligation to care for her father and being the best at her hobbies, such as dancing. That was mostly a guess. He didn't know if she was the best in her class, but from where he had been standing, it seemed like it. If not, she was still pretty far up in rank, because the way that she had done that... Uh... Floor thing... The uh... Crawling and... arching...

Eh, he really shouldn't think about that.

Placing the booklet down, Hijikata pulled his cigarettes from his coat. He tuned into the conversation that was unfolding, only to catch the end.

"Well, if we go in our uniforms, it will be obvious."  
"You're right! We've got to change! Maybe business men, should we be business men?" Kondo's suggestion received a tilt of Sougo's head.  
"Business men?"

"Yeah, we still have to be in order, look nice. It's not a casual trip, so your yukata should be reserved for the rooms and sleeping. But when we patrol, maybe we should have a uniform? A secret uniform, so we can recognize each other?"

Frowning at the commander, Hijikata lit his cigarette. So now they were playing dress-up. Great. Leave it to Kondo to pick some goofy outfits and slap a uniform on them. Hijikata had somewhat been looking forward to wearing his casual clothes. It seemed he wouldn't be so fortunate.

* * *

"He's in here," Yamazaki's voice could be heard outside of the door, and the vice commander peered over his shoulder, as did Sougo. Kondo's eyes also fixed on the door as a light knock sounded and it was pulled open. Of course, Muzai stepped into the room in her borrowed outfit that seemed all too premeditated. Sougo had known exactly what he had been doing. He had planned every last detail. The woman was lightly frowning at the sadist, yet entered the room nonetheless. A smirk crept to Sougo's features, and Hijikata eyed the outfit as Muzai approached.

Sougo had provided a short black skirt, a white linen button up and a Shinsengumi coat. She was holding the coat over one shoulder and eying Sougo; clearly aware that he had set her up. Instead of commenting on the expression, the sadist brushed it off.

"You didn't wear the vest." He noted, and Muzai shook her head. She raised a brow, and Sougo's smile spoke loudly enough. He wasn't admitting to a thing or even acknowledging the fact that he had inadvertently forced her into a uniform. Standing up, Sougo glanced over the woman. He circled her, and Hijikata felt irritation spark within him. What was with that expression? As if he was examining her every curve or- he was! He was ogling her! Just using her as a dress-up doll now.

"Zai-Chan, you can't walk around like that." The calmly stated words triggered a slight frown, and Muzai glanced towards Sougo for a split second. He stopped at her side, arms crossed and suddenly more evil than before. Almost instinctively, Muzai shifted her weight. Her discomfort was clear, and she turned her head as Hijikata glanced over her once more. Nothing seemed wrong. She looked fine to him.

"Look at yourself, you look horrible. You've really let yourself go; first suicide, now this..."

Frowning, Hijikata fixed his eyes on Sougo. What the hell was he talking about? Muzai's gaze shifted once more, and the woman seemed to shrink into herself as Sougo shook his head in disapproval.

"Did you even look in the mirror before you left the bathroom? This is pathetic. Now go to the corner and think about what you've done." Shaking his head once more, Sougo eyed Muzai. The woman leaned away slightly, pouting and looking at the ground as she lowered her head.

Seriously? She was falling for something like that? What the hell was Sougo doing? Using his sadistic tricks to make Muzai listen to him. And she did. The woman twisted around in place, waiting for his approval, yet she received none. Sougo glared at her, and almost like a child that had been scolded by their mother, she clasped her hands behind her back and guiltily walked to the corner.

"Sougo, I think you're being too hard on her..."  
Turning to peer at Kondo, Hijikata narrowed his eyes.  
"Too hard on her? She'll never be able to take care of herself when we're gone if I'm not. You'll thank me for this one day." The coolly spoken words only further confused Hijikata, and he turned to Sougo. What the fuck was this? Were they parents? They were. They were being parents. And the vice commander didn't know why.

"I see you peeking, don't act like I can't see you! Back in the corner, damn it!"

Snapping his gaze to Muzai, Hijikata gawked at the fact that the woman actually had been peeking over her shoulder, and guiltily turned back to the corner. What the hell?! When she peeked again, Sougo started to stalk towards her. The woman immediately corrected herself, but it was too late; the sadist had already seen.

"No, dear! She's too young! She didn't mean it!" Jumping from his chair, Kondo ran to Sougo's side. He grabbed the sadist's arm, but Sougo pulled away. He stopped behind Muzai, and she pretended not to notice; innocently staring at the wall.

"That's it, I gave away my youth to give you life, and you don't appreciate a damn thing!" Behind Sougo, Kondo was a sniffling mess of tears. He was still calling the sadist "dear", pleading for him to overlook Muzai's fault, which Hijikata still hadn't figured out. Standing up, the vice commander considered interrupting. This was increasingly uncomfortable. Sougo was ignoring the fact that Kondo was pulling at his coat; trying to discourage the approaching punishment.

"You want to turn around?! I'll teach you some manners! Take it off yourself!"

Take what off? What was being taken off? Intervention time. Hijikata walked to the corner in time to find Muzai hesitantly reaching for the sadist's belt. Is that what he had been talking about?! Why was she going along with this?! Smacking her hand away, Hijikata snapped at the woman.

"Oi! Don't listen to him!"

She turned her head towards him, yet avoided eye contact. Sougo coldly glared at the woman, only to shake his head in disapproval once more.  
"You're lucky your mother is here. Lucky that your uncle stopped me. Next time, you should think twice about walking around half-dressed. You have no right to call yourself a man." With that, the sadist offered one last glare before turning back to Kondo's desk. The commander was thanking him; for sparing her. A second passed, and Muzai glanced around the floor. She slowly opened the coat she had been holding and pulled out a vest.

Hijikata watched as she pulled it on and buttoned it. The woman then walked to Sougo's side, and carefully stepped into his line of view. At first, he acted as though he didn't see her; glanced to the side and completely ignored her. She remained still, awkwardly standing in front of him as he took his time in acknowledging her. Almost a minute passed before he stood up. He glanced over her, and blankly nodded. The sadist pet her head twice and stated in his usual deadpan tone, "good girl".

This was ridiculous.

Hijikata had spent so long watching and wondering what the hell was going on that his cigarette had extinguished itself. A long sigh escaped him, and the man placed a palm to his forehead as he felt a headache threaten to make an appearance. They would be leaving soon, and he would have at least two hours of this shit in the car. Great.

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**A/N: yay Faster update then the last :3**  
**Thank you all for your reviews, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


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